


Apprentice of Death: Book 3

by InkStainedHands1177



Series: Apprentice of Death Books [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, reference to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them
Genre: BAMF Harry Potter, Dumbledore Brotherly Rivalry, F/M, Gen, Good Albus Dumbledore, Greek Myth Easter Eggs, Harry Does a Bad Bad Thing, Harry Lies, Harry REALLY Lies, M/M, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Non-Consensual Touching, Not Good Harry Potter, Not Good Tom Riddle, Severus Snape is So Done, Sirius Black vs Severus Snape, but she still has so much to learn, for very good reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-18 16:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21780604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkStainedHands1177/pseuds/InkStainedHands1177
Summary: A person from Harry's past comes back to bite her, but how did he escape Azkaban?! Unwilling to let this cramp her style, Harry continues with her life and starts a small class for Death Magic.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, One-sided Tom Riddle/Harry Potter - Relationship, one-sided Gellert Grindelwald/Albus Dumbledore
Series: Apprentice of Death Books [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546282
Comments: 56
Kudos: 182





	1. Calm Before the Storm

~at King’s Cross Station~

Harry looked at Tom and then behind him at Death. The being motioned her to do it. She swallowed and then looked at the Weasleys who had come to pick Tom and the rest up.

“Tom, I…” He looked at her, and then she smiled brightly and kissed his cheek in a sisterly way. “Have a nice summer!” Death sighed sadly and shook his head, leaning on his scythe. 

She raced off to where Sirius was waiting. Her godfather arched a brow at her but didn’t question it.

Tom stood there until George prodded him none too gently. “So she kissed you, Tom. She’s done that before. Get a move on. You can gape in the car.”

Giving him an irritated glance, Tom hurried off to the car that would take him to the Burrow. George was right though. She had done it before, but why did it feel so different this time? 

Tom tried to remember and then realized that  _ whatever _ had changed inside him towards her he must have written down to Grindelwald. There was no way he would get those memories back. 

He scowled darkly and then looked out the window, eager for a distraction from his angry thoughts. He stared at the lemo Harry had jumped into. They had a driver too.

Ron scoffed slightly at the wealth. “Black Family. Wealthiest family there is. You can’t get any higher than them in the hierarchy, and Harry’s set to inherit it all.” He grumbled as he looked at his frayed and broken wand. 

“Oh! Ron, this was delivered to our house by Ollivander’s owl a little over a week ago. We decided to keep it until you returned home, not willing to entrust it to Errol.” Molly twisted around and gave it to her son. “Ollivander said he apologizes for the long wait, but seeing as it was custom made, he had to regrow those ingredients again just exactly the same.”

Ron stared at the wand box and gaped. Tom smirked. “She did promise to get you a new one.”

“Blimey…”

Percy spoke up arrogantly. “Better be sure to write her a thank you note, Ron. Custom wands from  _ Ollivander _ don’t come cheaply.”

The brother was too stunned to snipe back at him. He only nodded dumbly. Tom snorted and shook his head.

~one week later~

Harry shuffled a bit as she waited for the door to open. Snape opened it and then looked down at her in some surprise.

“Potter?”

“Wanted to give this to you. I spoke to my mum, and she wanted me to deliver this. I had to write down what she dictated, but…erm…hope you don’t mind.” She gave a quick curtsy and then apparated away.

Snape closed the door and locked it even as he started to open the letter. 

_ ‘Dear Severus, _

_ Our past conversations via Harriet’s pin were wonderful. I’m very glad that I could set you straight. I do not hold you to blame for anything. I know I told you this before, but I thought you’d like to see it in writing. _

_ I am glad that you’ve been keeping my daughter, as much as possible, safe. I can also understand that she is a handful. She gets that from both sides, I’m afraid.  _

_ Knowing how much it could help you, I want you to learn Necromancy from Harriet, Severus. She is willing to teach you. That way you can learn to summon me when you wish to talk. This is not so you can escape to the past, but because we have so much to catch up on, and…I miss you. _

_ However, there is another reason why I contacted you, a more pragmatic one. It seems that Tom Riddle is infatuated with my daughter. He doesn’t seem to be the only one in Slytherin House either. Please keep an eye on those Slytherin boys for me, will you? You do know how sly and cunning they can be when trying to steal a lady’s heart. ; ) _

_ Thank you for everything, Severus, thank you. I do not mean that in any sarcastic way. You have made a mistake, and you have more than paid me back in full. So thank you. _

_ With fond affection,  _

_ Lily Potter nee Evans’ _

Severus swallowed and held the letter close to him.  _ I will do as you request, Lily. _

~meanwhile~

Sirius looked up as Harry came back. “Where’d you go?”

“Delivering a letter. My mum seems to think I’m an owl.”

He barked a laugh. “Who’d you take it to?”

“Snape. She wrote him a letter and then wanted me to teach him Necromancy.” She looked up when he made a noise. “What’s the matter?”

“Snape?! Snivellus?!” She gave him a perturbed look.

“Yes. Problem godfather?”

“But…Necromancy is way too cool for a git like him!”

She arched a brow at him. He shuffled and mumbled something. “What was that?” Her lips curled into a grin. They were staying at the Black country home in Scotland while the townhouse (Grimmauld Place) was being renovated and freed of curses. 

“I said that I wanted to learn how to be a Necromancer too.” She grinned at him widely.

“I’ll start a class! Blaise Zabini and his mother also wanted to learn from me. So that means you, Snape, Ms Zabini, and Blaise. Alright, four people. I can handle four people. If I have any questions, then I can always ask Death.” She smiled at him brightly.

Sirius looked nauseous. “Me?! Learn alongside Snivellus?!”

“Why  _ do _ you hate him so?”

He huffed. “Long story. Nevermind that.” The perimeter security wards beeped. Sirius frowned and looked out the window. 

Just to clarify, the Black country home was more like a mansion. It had three stories, and about one hundred rooms, plus a basement and an attic. There was a front yard, side yards, and a backyard. There was an indoor swimming pool and an outdoor swimming pool. There was an indoor tennis court and an outdoor tennis court. They also had a huge garage for about fifteen cars of various makes and models. And whole other garage for Sirius’ motorcycle collection. 

There was also a small front fountain that was home to a fish named George.

Next summer, he would be taking Harry on a detailed tour of all the Potter lands, houses, and holdings. She would be able to see the Potter Family vaults instead of just her trust vault. She would also start on her side lessons in Wizarding Politics, considering she would grow into the Potter and Black Heir, she would have to learn how to play the game. Sirius was going to teach her everything he knew, which was actually quite a lot. 

Back to the present, they glanced out the second-story window from the upper parlor. 

Sirius gave a whoop. “It’s Moony!” He bolted downstairs. Harry followed at a more sedate pace. She frowned at the thought of another adult in her life. By the time she walked down the gilded stairs, the man named Moony, whom she had heard so much from both her parents and Sirius, was greeting his long-time friend. 

_ Some friend. He didn’t even… _ “Wait…” She hurried down the stairs faster, stopping only when she was staring directly at him. “You were the one who gave me that stuffed wolf and that chocolate, weren’t you?”

He flushed and nodded. “I hated how powerless I was, and I could see how miserable you were at their place… I just wanted to do  _ something _ . I’m sorry I was completely useless-”

She hugged him tightly, cutting him off from his self-loathing. That wolf had been her only toy as a child. (Death hadn’t really understood the necessity of toys.) 

Sirius chuckled and closed the door behind his friend. 

“Harriet accepts you, and I like you still. That’s settled. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”

“Hey! Sirius, what!?”

Pulling away from her new uncle, Harry smirked. “You’re part of the family now. Get used to it.” With a cheeky grin, she raced after Sirius. Speaking to her godfather before Remus could get caught up to them, she whispered, “Let me tell him everything in my own way, okay?”

“Sure thing, Harry Berry.” He winked and then turned to face a perturbed Remus. 

“Sirius, I only came for a visit! Just to say welcome back to society, and to apologize for abandoning you like everyone else did! I’m not staying-”

Harry turned on him and stared at him with wide, tear-filled, green eyes. “You don’t wanna stay with us?”

Knowing exactly what she was doing but still completely powerless to resist, Remus caved. Sirius cheered and gave his goddaughter a thumbs up.

She waved at them. “I’m off to the Burrow. See you all later!” She cracked out of existence as soon as she stepped outside of the house. 

Remus gaped. “Apparating? So young?! Without a wand?!”

“Harriet isn’t like normal children, Remus, best get used to that quickly.” Sirius gave him a sad smile and then continued giving the tour of his house to his old friend.

“How is she?”

“She is…doing better than others would in her position.” Sirius looked at Remus and sighed. “She’ll have to forgive me, but I’m telling you this much. The Dursleys beat her. She’s got scars. I’ve seen ‘em. The Dursleys are almost as bad as my thankfully departed family.” Remus paled.

“No…Dumbledore wouldn’t-”

“Have a choice.” 

Remus had to sit down and sort everything through his mind. Sirius let him be.

~meanwhile~

Harry knocked on the door eagerly and laughed when Ginny opened it and squealed, pulling her in eagerly. “Mum! Dad! Harry’s here!”

Tom and Ron raced down the stairs. Harry had to admit that Tom was looking better than ever. He grinned at her and pulled her into a hug. “Missed you.”

“I’m here now.” She winked at him and then hugged Ron.

“Harriet, how nice of you to come and visit!” Molly bustled through and gave her a tight hug as well. 

“Can’t stay long though. I’m on my way to Diagon. There were some things that I need to buy, also I’m going to track down Dobby and give him a position with the Blacks. The house elf Sirius has is absolutely useless.” Ron barked a laugh.

“Careful, Harry, you’re starting to sound like a pureblood.” She gave him a dirty look.

“Don’t insult me like that.” Ginny gave her a mock affronted look.

“Oi! Pureblood here!” Everyone laughed as they walked into the kitchen. Harry nibbled at a biscuit.

“Oh! And you all simply must come and visit me! The country house is huge! It’s…bigger than the Ministry practically! There are so many rooms and things to explore. Please come and visit!” She stared at the parents. They faltered under the silently pleading eyes of all the children. 

Arthur caved first. “Alright, but only for the weekend.” They cheered.

After watching Ron show off his wand and thank her profusely, Harry smiled at him and then grabbed his hand. “I’m only sorry I took so long to save Ginny.” Ginny was in the kitchen proper and couldn't hear them. Tom had gone outside to get the owl who had collapsed on the path.

Ron shook his head. “No! You did all you could! I was…wrong to expect so much from you, Harry. I’m sorry.” He pulled her into a hug.

Harry smiled at him sadly. “I could have done it a lot quicker though.”

“Hindsight is perfect vision, as the Muggles say.” He rolled his eyes. “Stop thinking about it. It’s over and done with. Grindelwald is on the run from the Ministry. He’ll be caught eventually. Oh! Did you hear? He was positively sighted in Sweden! They think he’s heading back to Durmstrang for something he hid at the school.” Ron slumped into the chair next to hers. “Who knows though, at least he isn’t here in England anymore.”

Tom came in. “That owl is a disgrace to the post service. Sometimes I wish we relied on actual humans.” Arthur popped back in from the garage. 

“You mean Muggles rely on humans? How do they go from country to country?!”

Giving Harry a long-suffering look, Tom sighed. “Airplanes take the mail to post offices, which then are used to distribute the mail via humans, not animals.”

“Takes longer doesn’t it?”

“Well, they have phones, and now email, landlines,  _ and _ cellular phones.” Tom smiled painfully before Arthur could ask. “I don’t know  _ how _ they work, Mr. Weasley. I only know they  _ do _ .” The older wizard looked disappointed but went back into the garage. Ron snorted.

“Dad has been grilling Tom about everything Muggle. Summer is probably still hell for him, just in a different way, eh Tom?”

“Right.” He slumped into the chair beside Harry’s on her right. “I absolutely hate talking about Muggles.”

“How is your situation?” Harry gave him a worried look. Tom shrugged.

“Mrs. Weasley has made it abundantly clear that she will only ever let me leave if  _ I _ want to, and only then. She won’t let me go back to that place short of adoption, and even then she’d fight it tooth and nail.” He looked kind of dazed at being…well…loved.  _ Mothered _ .

Harry smiled sadly and kept her jealousy at bay. She had Sirius now, and her mother’s spirit. She had felt a hug from her mother and her father. She wasn’t going to be beaten anymore. She was safe. There was nothing for her to be jealous of anymore. 

“Well, I’m off. I only stopped in to check up on you all and tell you about my uncle!” She grinned. “A man named Remus Lupin, very close friends to my father, has moved into with us at the country house. I can’t wait to get to know him.” She gave Tom a tight hug and then gave Ron and Ginny one too. “See you this weekend. Drop in anytime! Bye!” She apparated off. Tom stared out the window and rubbed his chest lightly. Ginny slumped against him. 

Generally, Tom hated being touched, but both he and Ginny had suffered at the hands of the same man last year, so she and he had become…well like siblings now. He allowed her to get away with it. Absently he wrapped an arm around her. 

“What’s up?”

“Huh?” He looked at her blankly. “What do you mean?” Her eyes dropped to his hand which was still rubbing his chest. 

“You sick? Dumbledore told mum how you got sick a lot back in the orphanage. You feeling off?”

Tom shook his head and dropped his hand. “No. My heart feels funny though.” She gave him a worried look. He snorted. “I’m fine, Gin. Relax.”

Nodding slowly, she still didn’t look too convinced. 

He chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. “But listen, there was something that I wanted to ask of you that I never got the chance. Harry has done so much for us, but she’s still in danger, you know? I want you to keep an eye on her, okay? She’s careless with her own life. Doesn’t think Death is something to be afraid of. She honestly reveres it.” Tom shook his head. “That’s why all those suicide rumors took hold.”

Ginny nodded seriously. “Got it, Tom. Will you keep an eye on Slytherin?”

“Don’t I always?” He chuckled and then saw a huge eagle owl swoop down. Opening the window, he pulled off the letter attached to it and read it. With a wide grin, he looked at Ginny. “That’s it. I’ve got control of Slytherin House! Draco cemented the last student’s loyalty.”

Ginny gave him a high five and beamed. “Good for you, maybe now you can cut down on all the inter-house bullying. It’s honestly repulsive. Did you know that a firstie was beaten up by three fourth years last year? And nothing was done about it!”

Tom hummed. “Perhaps if I could swing it so Harry could be viewed as the leader of the Lions…she’s the Queen of Courage you know…”

“Then you and she could bridge a truce! I’ll help you!” Tom grinned at her in delight. 

“Thanks.” 

She blushed lightly. Tom knew then that she still had a crush on him. He hummed quietly as he thought about the pros and cons of that. Jealousy between her and Harry, but Ginny was so indebted, Tom wasn’t sure she  _ would  _ lash out. Probably just pine silently. He nodded to himself. Ginny laughed at him for some reason and left him to think. Tom read the rest of his letter.

~meanwhile~

Harry looked around and then spied Dobby. “Dobby!” The elf saw her and beamed. She squatted to look at him. “How would you like to work for the Blacks and the Potters? I can pay you a galleon a week.”

“Oh no! Too much pay for Dobby! Dobby would work for Harriet Potter for free!”

Laughing, Harry smiled at him. “But Harriet Potter  _ wants _ Dobby to take the money. Please?”

Tears welled up in his eyes. “Dobby will do as Harriet Potter says! Dobby will do anything for Harriet Potter!” He covered his eyes with his hands for a moment, rubbing the tears away. “Harriet Potter freed Dobby! And Dobby will do anything for her!”

Smiling, Harry nodded and then told him the address of the country house. “You’ll find my godfather there. Tell him that you’re Dobby, and Harriet sent you as our new help. Also, she wants you to be paid one galleon a week.”

“Harriet Potter is too kind to poor Dobby! Thank you! Thank you!” He popped away. 

That done, she exhaled and set out further into Diagon. She had some books and journals to buy.

~two hours later~

Harry grinned and brought everything home. In the largest leather-bound book, she carefully, painstakingly copied the entire Language of Death into it. It was a dictionary, a grammar book, and a pronunciation and syntax guide. It took her all afternoon and half the night. With a tired smile, she had Death double-check her work.

_ “It looks fine. Good work. I’m glad you still remember even after months of disuse.” _ He smirked at her.

With a smile, she copied the book three times and then shrunk two of them and tied them to Hedwig. “One book goes to Professor Snape in Spinner’s End, Cokeworth. The other book goes the Zabinis who live on the outskirts of Cannes, France.” She stroked the snowy feathers. “Thank you, Hed.” Her bird trilled and then flew off.

She looked at the journals and started out a syllabus that she would follow to teach them. That done, she quickly went down to eat dinner.


	2. The Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation is repeated, and lessons are begun

~the next day~

Snape looked up and opened the window. Harriet Potter’s owl hopped in and stuck out her foot. She looked rather impatient. 

Snorting, Severus untied the package. “Snippy thing, aren’t you?” The owl nipped at his fingers and then flew off. Enlarging it, he found himself holding a book, a rather large one at that.

Sitting down, he opened it and found a written letter of instructions. 

_ ‘Professor Snape,  _

_ I am going to assume that you are taking up my mother’s offer and will be learning Necromancy from me this summer (or for however long it takes for you to master it). _

_ This book is a dictionary of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation of the Language of Death. To even know a single word is punishable by five years in Azkaban. So, needless to say, be careful with who you tell. I do not mind if you tell everyone you’re learning it, just don’t tell them who’s teaching you. _

_ I will begin lessons with you (and others who are interested in learning Necromancy) at my country home with Sirius Black. As previously stated, there will be others who I will teach at the same time. They are completely trustworthy, and will not betray our confidence.  _

_ Thank you, Professor, for everything, and I will see you on June 16 at ten in the morning. _

_ H. P.’ _

He hummed and then stuck the note into the book and began to read, using the letter as a bookmark. Today was June 7th. The classes would begin a little over a week from now.

He was concerned about who the other students would be, but he found that he trusted the enigmatic Harriet Potter. She was quite similar to Dumbledore in a way. He snorted as he imagined her expression at being told  _ that _ .

~ten hours later~

Blaise jumped up from his bedroom and opened the window. The exhausted looking owl hopped in. He fed and watered her quickly and then took the package. 

“Mother! Package for both of us.” Leaving the owl at the window, he hurried to where his mother was. In their summer home, they were the only ones who were there.

Karina Zabini opened her door and looked at her son’s eager face. They opened the book on her bed and read Harriet’s letter together. 

_ ‘Madam Zabini and Blaise, _

_ I do not know how much you have already managed to learn, and how much of that is actual Necromancy. That said, I have sent you a full dictionary of the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation of the Language of Death.  _

_ I am sure you are aware of the severe punishment for even knowing one word of this language. Please trust no one and tell no one about these lessons.  _

_ It has been set that I will begin lessons with you and others (who are quite trustworthy and will not tell a soul about this) on June 16 at ten in the morning. The location will be the Black country house.  _

_ Thank you for asking for my assistance in Necromancy. I hope I will live up to your expectations. _

_ Until then. _

_ H. P.’ _

Blaise grinned and opened the book. “The actual language, Mother! This is amazing! How in the world did she get such a complete collection of knowledge?!”

“I do not know. I am more concerned about these others who are included in this.” She re-read the letter. Blaise shrugged.

“Harry Potter isn’t a fool. In fact, she is the exact opposite. I have never seen such a cold and calculating person who isn’t an adult. I trust her.” He flipped the page and started looking up words. 

“The pronunciation is challenging.” Karina mused softly. “It is mostly hissing and chattering and glottal stops. The words are all so similar in spelling and speaking.”

He looked at his mother in determination. “It is the family art, and I will learn it.” She smiled at him in pride.

~the weekend~

Tom stared at the huge ass house. “Big as the Ministry is right!” Ginny was gaping. Everyone was.

“Oh my…” Molly Weasley looked out of her depth.

The front door flew open and Harry raced down the path. “Tom! Ron! Ginny!” She gave everyone a hug and then ushered them in quickly. “This is my Uncle Remus. Uncle Remus, these are my friends, the Weasley Family. Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Percy, Fred and George, Ron, and Ginny. This is Tom Riddle, who is staying with them for the summer.” She ushered them into the house.

“So  _ this _ is Tom Riddle?” Sirius Black entered the foyer with a dark grin on his face. Tom felt a shiver of trepidation.

Harry smiled at her godfather pointedly. “Yes, he is my  _ friend _ . This is my godfather, Sirius Black.” He winked at them.

“Hey.” Ginny flushed hotly. Molly swallowed and gave a giggle. Arthur gave his wife a concerned look before reaching over and shaking Black’s hand. Harry pulled Tom into the side room, a library. 

“Do yourself a favor and stay away from Sirius. He wants to interrogate you. Saw me give you that sisterly kiss and now has it in his head that we’re an item.” She rolled her eyes and then smiled at him. “But right now, I wanna show you the house. Come on!” She pulled him back out without giving him a chance to talk.

She ushered everyone to the back of the house. “This is the broom room. Every broom that Sirius owns is in there.” Grinning, she opened the door and showed the collection off. There were some that were behind glass because they were antiques. Pulling off her new broom from its hook, she showed it to the boys. “This is my birthday present!”

“A RUDDY FIREBOLT!” The twins and Ginny and Ron were drooling at the sight of it.

Harry gladly allowed them to ride it, but Tom declared that he would keep his feet firmly on the ground. Instead,  Tom walked out onto the small balcony of his room. Harry had informed him that any time he wanted privacy, he could apparate to her house and stay in this room. He gladly took her up on it.

The entire Weasley family had enjoyed the pool, tennis court, and every other amenity that the Black House had to offer. Unlike the house in town, this one wasn’t filled with curses and darkness and gloom. It was beautiful. Sirius’ favorite place as a child.

Harry waltzed into his room after a quick knock and then pointed up. “See the twins?” She snickered. “They decided it was a brilliant idea to ride two on a broom, now they can’t seem to get down.” Tom snorted and then leaned against the railing.

“Harry, your other uncle, Remus, seems to think I’m in love with you. I overheard him talking to Sirius about it.” He turned and looked at her. “I did the research. My father said that he was a victim of the love potion. If I was conceived under that, then I wouldn’t understand the importance of love. I would have to work hard to understand affection, fondness, identify all those types of emotions. I would automatically hold it in disdain.”

Keeping completely still, Harry stared at the backyard and listened to what seemed to be a re-do of last year’s conversation. Her life was cursed. Had to be.

Tom moved closer to her. “I asked Mrs. Weasley to describe what she felt for her husband.”

“And?”

“She said she missed him every time he wasn’t around. She enjoyed seeing him smile, and she loved him more than her own children. She described love as ‘being willing to put  _ everything _ after that person even your private, peaceful downtime’.” Tom stared at Harry intently. “Harriet…I’m no master at love, but…if what Mrs. Weasley says is true, then I’m in love with you.” He exhaled quickly. “Or I’m damn near getting there.”

She didn’t look at him. “Sometimes, Tom, love only touches one of the two people. It’s how things are, and it happens to everyone.”

He drew away and swallowed. “Oh.” Staring at the sky, he frowned. “Then what use is it?”

“When you find that you feel love again for another person, and they feel the same way, it can be wonderful, like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They must have fallen in love with others who didn’t reply in kind.”

“Right.” He nodded and then didn’t know what else to say. “I don’t have to come back-”

“Tom!” She turned sharply and looked at him. “You are twelve years old! I’m twelve! This is puppy love. Obviously, we can still be friends!” She forced a light laugh and a smile. “I don’t give a damn who I fall in love with, or if I ever will, but you will  _ always _ be my dearest friend!”

He stared at her. “Even more than Granger?”

“Oh Tom, even more than  _ Granger _ . Her dearest friend is the library, and there is no way I can compete with that.” He snorted in agreement. 

They stood there in silence, watching Ginny and the twins, and Ron play Quidditch. Harry wondered if she should join them. 

“Who do you think you would marry?”

“I don’t know anyone who fits that category.”

He huffed a laugh. “No, I mean, what type. Rich, poor, hard working, artistic, dark hair, light hair, bad boy, innocent, shit like that.”

“Language.” She smirked at him and then hummed in thought, rubbing her chin. “Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief.” Laughing, she shook her head. “I suppose a man who is hard working, honest, knows how to protect himself and our possible family, and gives strong hugs. I want to feel safe with him. I couldn’t care a fig how he looks, just how his heart is.”

Tom hummed and then looked at her. “Mine would be you right now. Might change, but I doubt it.”

“Tom…” She flushed. He chuckled and then waved at the others outside. 

“Let’s go join them.”

~June 16~

Harry swallowed and looked at the things she had gathered. Sirius had gotten rid of Remus (he had found him a job and that’s where Remus was). Harry hadn’t found it in herself to rupture Remus’ little idea that she was a light witch. 

The Zabinis arrived first. She quickly showed them the syllabus and found that they only knew animation and a little shadow manipulation. 

When Severus arrived, they all moved into the backyard. Harry looked up when Sirius came up.

“Alright, this is Karina Zabini and her son Blaise, this is Severus Snape and Sirius Black.” She stared at Snape and Sirius. “I am your teacher. I do not care if I am half your age or a girl. I don’t care if I’m your student at Hogwarts. Right here, in these lessons, you are  _ my _ students.” She looked at the two others and then smiled. “Because of this, I will always have Severus and Blaise paired, and Karina and Sirius paired.” She looked at Sirius and Severus. “I do  _ not _ want any problems with you two.” She sniffed and then motioned them to sit down.

“The Zabinis already know Animation and a small amount of Shadow Manipulation.” She motioned to the journals. “These are yours, charmed for your eyes only. To everyone else, they will be blank. Feel free to take whatever notes you wish. All my exams- unless it’s on Language- will be practical. Ask me any questions. Now, a bit about my own self. The reason I know so much is that I attracted the attention of Death. He is my teacher.” Blaise and Karina made noises of surprise. Severus had no emotion. Sirius was grinning.

She saw Death step out from behind the veil. “If you feel the drop in temperature, that is him. He is watching us now because he is a curious and bored git.” She smirked at his two-finger salute. “Now, there are four areas of Death Magic. There is Animation, the animating of bones or corpses and having them move to your will. Life Energy Manipulation, the stealing of energy that turns the item the energy was taken from to ash or the giving of energy that allows a person or creature to be alive and healthy and be healed. Shadow Manipulation, the moving and controlling of shadows, controlling the intangible with thoughts only. And finally, Soul Magic, the mastery of this is difficult, and I’m still learning. The soul is made up of four things, Thoughts, Magic, Memories, and the Second Name. The person’s second name is simply what makes them _them_ , their personality if you will.”

She looked at her students. They were writing everything down. “Any questions so far?”

“What  _ exactly _ is Soul Magic?” Severus spoke up quietly. His eyes were intense.

“It is the control and manipulation of a person’s thoughts, memories, magic, and personality.” She was keenly aware of their surprise.

Blaise swallowed. “Then Necromancers are all-powerful!”

“Nearly, but not quite. A Necromancer may be powerful, but power does nothing in the face of knowledge and or experience of another. I have the knowledge, but Grindelwald has the experience. We are equal in power. Other Necromancers can fight and destroy Necromancers, but there is only one true being who can defeat all of us. 

“The history of Necromancy, like everything else about it, is erased. The first Necromancer was Merlin. He didn’t much care for it, preferring lighter magic. He trained Godric Gryffindor but refused Salazar Slytherin because the wizard wanted to know more about Dark Arts. Gryffindor taught him on the sly. Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw were females and were restricted from learning anything but healing magic. They didn’t like that. Slytherin taught Ravenclaw, who in turn taught Hufflepuff. They became fast friends and founded Hogwarts.”

Harry sighed and looked at Death and then back at the four listening to her. “Merlin knew another woman who had the promise of being a powerful witch. The results of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff impressed him, and he decided to teach Morgana, half-sister of King Arthur. However, what he taught wasn’t enough. She searched and searched and finally found Death. She persuaded him to teach her Necromancy. Death agreed. She learned quickly and consumed knowledge greedily. It was because of her that mermaids, giants, and House Elves were first formed. Dark Magic twists everything.” She shook her head. “Dark Transfiguration.

“She was untouchable. No wizard, not even another Necromancer, Merlin himself, could take her down. So,  _ Death _ stepped in. He collected her soul in recompense for twisting his teachings. Necromancy isn’t evil.” She looked at them intently. “Dark Magic is not evil. Not all of it. Magic is pure energy. Neutral until it is channeled through the person’s soul. Then, it becomes light or dark, but it rests completely on the person’s actions and reasonings and emotions.” 

Sirius was nodding. He hadn’t written anything in his book, but Harry knew he had that kind of memory. She didn’t say anything. Severus was scribbling away rapidly.

She looked at Blaise. He was writing keywords to spur his memory, but his mother was like Severus. Writing everything down, verbatim.

Exhaling, she smiled and leaned back. “Since Merlin and Morgana, there have been several groups of people who have sought and learned Necromancy, all ranging in morality, but after the Middle Ages, the Ministry started wiping out all knowledge, arresting and killing all who followed Death’s teachings. There have been no other Necromancers since the mass executions of the Necromancers in the Renaissance. I’m the only Master Necromancer left, besides Grindelwald. I started learning at the age of three. Practical magic at the age of five.” Blaise gaped at her in awe.

She chuckled and stood up. “The reason I chose the outdoors was because you are surrounded by life, by energy. You simply need to find it. So, the first lesson will be meditation.” Sirius groaned. Harry snorted at his reaction. She waved her hand and wandlessly conjured five shadow cushions for them to sit upon on the ground. “I want you to find and identify ten types of living beings around you, not including us.” She looked at them. “Then write what you feel, be specific. Include adjectives and names.” She nodded to them. “Extend your awareness.”

It was surprising, but it was Blaise who got it down first. He had finished his ten creatures faster than Harry had anticipated. She encouraged him to go further.

Sirius was next. Harry could tell that rankled Severus. He beat Karina, urged on by not wanting to be the last. Harry noted his competitive spirit. Karina took her time, methodically recording everything. Harry smiled. Karina was very thorough unbothered by competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading!  
> Ink...


	3. Always and Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gellert makes several social calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight non-con at the beginning of this chapter. It is Grindelwald after all. So, no surprises there. ; D  
> Ink...

She looked over their journals and nodded. “Alright. Excellent.” She frowned at something Blaise wrote down. Looking at him, she stared at him in shock. “Blaise…” He looked worried.

“Yes? What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing! You did nothing wrong, just surprised me…” She looked at Death and then spoke in the language of Death.  _ “He sensed you. He did not know what you were, but he was able to sense your presence!” _ She was aware of the others staring at her, their quick inhales told her that they had realized who she was talking to.

Death looked just as surprised as she was.  _ “ _ Fascinating. Keep an eye on this one. He’s gifted.” He shrugged then.  _ “ _ Or dying.”

Shooting him a look, Harry shook her slowly. “No, he’s not…” Harry looked at Blaise and smiled at him. “You noticed Death when no one else did. Congrats. Your senses are sharper than everyone else’s.” His mother was surprised and proud. 

“Oh Blaise!” He looked stunned.

Harry stood up and nodded to her godfather and teacher. “Sirius, you need to be more thorough. You found the ten easily, yes, but you didn’t sense enough.” She looked at all of them. “The reason I’m asking you to do this is because the next time, I want you to touch that energy. I’m edging you all towards a goal. A frightening power that can easily be misused.” 

She stared at them hard. “A power that Grindelwald  _ thankfully  _ doesn’t have. This and Soul Magic were buried deeper than the rest. If Grindelwald had Energy Manipulation, then it would have all been over long ago. He would easily win. With Life Energy Manipulation, you can wipe out an entire city with a single snap of your fingers. I’m trusting you four to be mature and responsible with your power. If you show it off, then you will be thrown into Azkaban.”

Sirius shuddered. 

Smiling brightly, she looked at the sun. “We’ve been at this for two hours now. Let’s go inside for some food and rest. I’m sure you haven’t noticed, but you are all probably starving.”

They were. Blaise helped his mother stand, and they all went into the kitchen to have lunch. Dobby was eager to please. 

Harry smiled at them all. The first lesson had gone very well. After lunch, they would mediate some more and then everyone would meet up at the same time and location next week.

~meanwhile~

As the Dementors floated past his spot, Gellert looked around and chuckled amusedly as he slipped into the prison. He looked at the man who was laughing maniacally. Tsking, he unlocked the door and caused the man to fall asleep. He then spoke into the man’s soul. 

**“Harriet Potter has corrupted your nephew. He is in love with the halfblood bitch. A Gryffindor! The heir of Slytherin is in love with the heir to Gryffindor. Kill her and free him of the enchantments. Tom Gaunt must be saved. Free him by hunting her down and killing her. She is at Hogwarts. She is at Hogwarts.”**

“She is at Hogwarts.” The man mumbled sleepily before turning over.

Smiling at the job well done, Gellert slipped away from the prison and apparated to Godric’s Hollow. He then entered the house of Albus Dumbledore. “You really must do something about that sofa. I thought I told you a century ago to throw it out.”

Albus jumped up from his seat beside the fire and stared at him. “What?!”

Stepping closer to the shocked man, Gellert placed his hand on Albus’ chest and whispered to him, “Did you really think I wouldn’t come back, Albus?” He seized the man’s soul and twisted its magic, summoning energy from the earth below them and pushing it inside the other man. It wasn’t a pleasant process. 

Albus cried out in agony. His house elf appeared, but it was blasted into the next room. Through the wall. When Gellert was done, Albus looked on the young side of thirty again. Smiling in appreciation of the form he fell in love with, Gellert stole a kiss from the breathless man. Taking advantage of his shock, he deepened the kiss, and pressed his body against Albus’. His hands sliding along the redhead’s torso.

Breaking the kiss, Gellert smiled at the dazed wizard. “I simply cannot bear the thought of you dying on me, Albus. You know I’ve always loved you. And, if I have the power, then I will never let you grow old, even if you do refuse the Hallows. I will always be near you to make you young again.” His dark eyes grew darker. “Always and always.”

Albus struggled and then succeeded in pushing the other man away. “Get out!” His eyes flashed. “You killed my sister, and you think I will- GET OUT!” He summoned his wand, the Elder Wand, and pointed it at Gellert. “I cannot kill you, but I will give it my all nevertheless. Avada Kedavra!”

Gellert laughed and ducked the spell, sweeping in low and close and grabbing the other man’s wand hand by the wrist. Albus struggled with him. They were of equal power, but  _ not  _ of equal strength. He pinned Albus to the wall and kissed him again, ignoring his struggles. Albus’ rage made his own blood sing with arousal.

“My darling Albus…why do you resist? Haven’t you figured it out yet?” He traced the glowering wizard’s jaw. “All those years ago, when we first met, I saw you and fell in love with you. I fell in love with you and  _ wanted _ you.”

“This is  _ not _ love, Grindelwald.” Albus snarled at him. “This is an obsession!”

Gellert stared at him and then tightened his grip on Albus’ wand hand, his other hand sliding dangerously downward to the other man’s crotch. “Say my Christian name, Albus.” The older man stayed silent, blue eyes flashing with hot rage. Gellert stepped closer. “Say. My. Name.” They were chest to chest, breath intermingling.

Albus stared at him, making no expression as he was fondled through his clothes, though his jaw tightened. “When you rose to power back in the twenties, I fought you.” His voice was hoarse, harsh. “In the forties, I fought you again and controlled you, but against my orders, you were allowed to escape and rise again. You tried to kill that poor child, just like you slaughtered thousands of others, including her parents. When Harriet Potter binds your magic or finds a way to kill you, I will  _ glory _ in it!” His blue eyes were shining so hotly it took Gellert’s breath away. 

“I will  _ never _ say your NAME!” He blasted Gellert across the room wandlessly and then unleashed a flurry of silent spells, not letting the Dark Lord get close to him again.  _ Finally _ , the ruckus attracted the Aurors. Gellert chuckled as he realized he was surrounded in a house he couldn’t apparate or teleport out of. 

“I should have known you’d have a backup plan.”

Albus, having not had the chance to put a glamour on to hide his now young features, glowered at him. “You’re growing predictable, Grindelwald.” A particularly strong stunner took Gellert down for a second, but that was all the Aurors needed. They lambasted him with spells that would subdue him. Then, they dragged him back to his cell.

This time, Albus took great pains in checking and double-checking the cell and the chains. He reached around a strung up Gellert to double-check the runes carved into the other man’s back. Darker magic, but very effective. Albus knew that this cell would take him quite a bit of time to figure out how to escape from. Enough for Albus to make new plans for his own security and Harriet’s. 

_ Aberforth will hit the roof when he finds out what this man did to me tonight. _ Albus did not look forward to that confrontation. 

Fingers skimming the mark, Albus nodded. It was done flawlessly. His magic was bound. “Keep that rune fresh and raw, do not let it scab over or heal. As long as there is blood, he will be bound.” Everyone nodded somberly. 

Gellert made a soft noise of disappointment when Albus removed his hand. The older wizard glared at the Dark Lord.

Keeping his voice low so only Albus could hear, Gellert murmured, “I still dream of that week in Venice, Albus. Remember?” The inhale of breath tipped Gellert off that he did. “That was paradise. Those noises you made, the little moans and long gasps. How well we fit together… We were created for each other. You are mine, Albus. That knowledge brightens my day. It stirs me still. Makes my blood come  _ alive _ . You will  _ always _ be mine.”

Albus wavered for one long second, Gellert’s soothing voice washing over him, just like before. Suddenly, he straightened. “You always did prefer to live in the  _ past _ , Grindelwald.” He swiftly walked away and out of the tower.

Gellert watched him leave, eyes trained on the man’s rear, the curves of his body. He burned for him.  _ Even if I have to manipulate his soul, I will win him back to me! _

~at that moment~

The alarms rang throughout Azkaban as the Dementors rushed to and fro. The Aurors hurried in with Patronuses, but none were able to find Morfin Gaunt. Also, at that time, another prisoner had taken the opportunity to slip away. A small rat…whose special cage had been knocked over by a passing Dementor who held no interest for the animal. 

The cage’s lock cracked and…Peter Pettigrew slipped away into the night. He had seen his Dark Lord come and then go. He had seen him…and he would return to him.

~the next day~

Harry came down the stairs and then faltered at the sight of her headmaster in her living room. 

Sirius stood up. “Harriet, I think it’s time Remus learned about everything because juggling the scheduling will work much easier with him in the know.”

Looking around in confusion, Remus had just come into the living room with tea. He looked at Sirius with suspicion. “Know about what?”

Harry sat down on the sofa next to the man who looked like Dumbledore's brother. She sighed. “Bloody hell.” 

Turning quickly, Remus gave her a sharp look. “Language.”

“Sorry.” She shook her head and then looked at the man beside her. She swiftly scanned his soul and then blinked. “Oh, you  _ are _ his brother then, eh? Interesting.”

Albus spoke up before his brother could. “Gellert Grindelwald is in jail, back in his tower cell. I made doubly sure he couldn’t escape. He is out of the way now, Harriet, giving us all time to prepare for when he escapes again.” His eyes glinted with grim amusement. Harry barked a laugh.

“Right. Thank you.”

“Also, my brother and I wish to learn your specialty.” Albus stared at her intently. “I think it would be best if I could defend myself against the Dark Lord also, don’t you agree?” His eyes were missing that twinkle, which told Harriet that he was as serious as sin.

“Got it. Okay, I’m already teaching Sirius, Severus Snape, and two others. I guess I could give you a quick overview of what we went over. I just had the first lesson a day ago.”

She turned to look at a wary and confused Remus. “I’m a…hell, I’m a Necromancer, Uncle Remus.” He blinked at her and then nodded.

“I know.”

“What?!” Harry couldn’t help her jaw dropping.

“You do?!” Sirius spat out his tea.

Sirius and Harry stared at him. Albus and Aberforth leaned back and watched the drama. Remus smiled at them softly. “I’m a werewolf. I can sense dark magic. I knew when I first met you. Back when you were a younger child.” Harry leaned back and stared at him.

“Blimey. That was easy. Okay! Well then.” She turned to Albus and Aberforth and then duplicated the dictionary. That done, she handed it to them and gave them the same first lesson she did for the others. Aberforth was slower than Albus, who leaped at new knowledge like a starving man at a feast. Harry was put off by his thirst, seeing the similarities with Morgana, but she pushed that thought away and continued her lesson. 

As Blaise did, Albus sensed Death too, but he was able to identify the being instead of wondering at what it was. Harry kept an eye on that. 

The lesson went by quickly, and Albus wanted more, but she decided it was better to teach them all at the same time so she could keep organized. “We can also meet during school as well. And during the holidays.” She smiled at her headmaster. She looked at Albus and then frowned as a thought came to her. “But I’m going to have to teach you and Professor Snape something special. You’ll tangle with Grindelwald all the time. It’s best if you learned to block him from your soul as well as your mind.” She nodded in thought. “Right, that’s a good idea. I’m going to have to give you separate lessons about your soul.”

Looking exceedingly curious, Albus leaned forward. “What do you mean?”

“The soul, as I said, is made up of four parts, your name, magic, memory, and thoughts. If Grindelwald got a hold of you, he could turn you into a dark wizard easily if given the proper amount of time. He could wipe your memory and make you think anything he wants. He could take your name and change your personality. But my biggest worry is him reading your thoughts and memories and learning more about Death Magic from me via your memories of learning from me.”

Albus had grown pale. Aberforth jumped up. “You mean he could make Albus do anything?! Can emotions be fabricated in the soul?” 

Not quite knowing what they were on about, Harry thought about it seriously. “Well, there will always have to be a base. If the headmaster has a slight annoyance towards the Minister, then Grindelwald could turn it into a murderous rage, like he did with Tom and Hermione. He made Tom  _ loathe _ Hermione, with just a seed of jealousy from Tom.”

Aberforth started pacing, mumbling curses under his breath. Concerned, Harry looked at Albus. “You aren't under his control, Headmaster. I hope you know that. Your soul is quite healthy and full of energy.” Aberforth grew calmer after that. Albus simply remained passive, only with a slight edge of unease in his eyes.

After that, they quickly left with a promise that they would return next week.

~two days later~

Harry woke up to Sirius cursing up a storm, and Remus trying to calm him down. Warily, she edged downstairs and found Sirius struggling under the weight of a bunch of boxes. 

Remus gave a yelp. “Harriet!”

The shout startled Sirius, who tripped and fell under a waterfall of boxes. “Mother _ fucker _ ! My bloody eye!” A box corner had nailed it.

Rushing downstairs, Harry frowned when Remus stopped her and tried to push her away. “Everything’s fine! Everything’s fine here. We have everything under control!” 

Giving him a doubtful look, Harry hummed and looked at the several boxes scattered around them. “If you say so…” Remus tried for a bright smile, but he only came out pained. She walked away uncertainly.

Sirius stumbled to a standing position and stretched with a groan. “Where do I put these?”

“Under my bed. Come on, let’s take them up.” He gave a slowly retreating Harry another shooing motion. She snorted and ran up the stairs again. Sirius grumbled as soon as she left hearing range.

“Did you have to buy her so many gifts?”

Remus sniffed slightly. “I thought she might like it.”

Giving him another look, Sirius chuckled and nodded. “Right. You’ve been out of her life, and you want to come back into it in a big way. I get it. It’s the same with me.”

They took all the presents and put them under Sirius’ bed just in case Harry searched Remus’ later. 

~weeks pass~

Harry watched as Blaise and Albus excelled beyond everyone else. 

Aberforth and Sirius were both the type to master something without showing much hard work for it. Severus and Karina excelled through hard work and determination. But Blaise and Albus…outshone everyone. 

She could tell that Karina was torn between pride for her son and frustration at her own self. Sirius and Severus were…ridiculous. 

She frowned in thought. “Alright, guys, I’m changing things up. From now on, I will be meeting each of you in pairs for holidays and school times.” She handed out the schedules to each of them. 

_ Severus and Karina - Fridays _

_ Albus and Blaise - Saturdays _

_ Aberforth and Sirius - Sundays _

She gazed at each of them. “We will meet here during hols, and during school, we will meet at the very heart of the Forbidden Forest. There is a special cemetery there. I’m sure the Headmaster knows of it.” The man nodded. “Good. Albus Dumbledore will show you all where that is. Excellent work all of you. The reason I’m splitting you all up is because…well to put it bluntly, you are getting  _ destructively _ competitive against each other. That isn’t going to fly with me. I don’t mind normal competition but some of you are trying to  _ sabotage _ each other.” She gave Severus and Sirius dark looks. They ignored her.

Aberforth snorted and nodded. 

Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, Harry smiled sweetly at Sirius. “If you drop that spider down Severus’ back, Sirius, then I’m telling Remus on you.”

The man froze long enough for Severus to leap away and snarl at him. Harry cleared her throat and stopped him from drawing his wand.

She crossed her arms and looked at Aberforth. “From now on, when you are in a secure location and with another student of this group, I want you to practice the Death Language. I want you as fluent as soon as possible. Sirius, work on your pronunciation. Blaise, you need help in grammar. Karina, your vocab needs brushing up on. Albus and Severus, flawless as always.” Sirius rolled his eyes at that. She continued briskly. “Aberforth, you need to work on the alphabet more for spelling, and you should learn to stop goading your brother. The Language of Death is not for you to antagonize via code.” She gave him a look that he ignored.

She hadn’t missed the fussiness between them. If anyone else picked on Albus, Aberforth went ape on them, but Aberforth nitpicked his older brother nearly to the point of it being bloody. Albus simply allowed it, tolerating it with good humor, but Harry would not.

“Everyone can go home now. Blaise, learn to apparate. I need you to be fluid in your travel abilities.” He nodded.

After that, everyone was allowed to leave except Albus, Severus, and Aberforth. They went into the library where Harry bullied their souls and forced them to guard against manipulation, and prying.

Severus was doing the best in it, but Albus was gaining speed. Aberforth only did well through sheer determination to not be left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the lessons have begun! Yay!   
> Thanks for reading!  
> Ink...


	4. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry is growing up.

~July 28~

Groaning, Harry stretched and then looked up when the indoor swimming pools sliding glass doors opened. Sirius and Remus joined her.

“Just think, Harry Berry, you’re about to turn thirteen. A teenager!” Sirius smiled at her nervously. Remus looked ill and pale, but it wasn't the full moon, so Harry was lost as to what he was ill about.

“Yep. Was there something you needed? Uncle Remus, are you alright?”

“Fine! Yeah, I’m fine.” Remus had always been a horrible liar. Harry frowned in concern.

“Uncle Remus?”

Sirius spoke up instead. “Has Lily ever told you about…growing up? Becoming a…er, a woman?” Remus looked paler.

“Um, no.”

“Petunia?”

Harry barked a laugh. “She never talked to me if she could help it. Why?”

“Do you know anything about growing up? Physically that is?” Sirius shot Remus a hard look when the man tried to slink away. “Don’t you dare leave me, Remus! I’m not doing this on my own!”

Blinking at them in complete confusion, Harry tilted her head. “Is there something I’m missing?”

“Erm…” Sirius swallowed and sighed. “Harriet, every single woman goes through a physical change. If you want details, then I suggest you talk to Lily, but I can tell you about the gist of it. Soon, you will have to go through something called a period.”

Remus made a sound like he was dying. Harry flicked him a concerned look. Sirius plowed on.

“This is when the blood lining on the inside of your uterus, an organ in a female’s body, is shed. The muscles contract in order to remove all of the blood, causing you to bleed and experience cramps. Cramps range in severity on a case by case basis, not one woman is the same as the other in dealing with these cramps, but heat and curling up in bed usually works wonders.” 

He cleared his throat. “The reason a female has to go through this hell is because her body has matured to the point of being able to procreate. The uterus is an organ of the body that houses the unborn baby. However, if you don’t get pregnant- which I hope you won’t- your body then sheds the nutritional blood lining, and you’ve got the period.”

Harry suddenly understood why Remus looked so mortified. Sirius was speaking with a determined tone like he wasn’t going to stop for questions or even allow himself to think. He was doing this like ripping off a Band-Aid. Fast.

Sirius wasn’t finished yet. “As you are only thirteen, I hope you will take things slowly, but I do have a list of spells that can keep you from getting pregnant. I’m not telling you anything about sex.  _ That _ conversation you will have with Lily.” He coughed and then spoke up again. 

“As you grow older and your body matures, you will also have bouts of extreme emotions, tears, anger, giddiness, and frustration. This is your hormones leveling out. Muggles call it ‘teenagers finding their identity’. I call it children becoming  _ more _ childish. Anyways, the girls will become more vicious. The boys will finally notice that girls aren't contagious, and this is when I will be polishing my wand and glaring at anyone stupid enough to try and date you.” 

Harry barked a laugh and shook her head. 

Clearing his throat, Remus spoke up for the first time. “Besides the period, other things in your body will change. Your hair and skin will become more prone to producing oil, causing oily hair-”

“Something Snivellus never seemed to catch onto.”

Remus gave him an irritated look before continuing. “And pimples and blackheads.  _ Everyone _ has them, so don’t start getting self-conscious about them. They are a part of life.”

“Like death and taxes.” Sirius mimed zipping his mouth when Remus gave him another look. Harry lost it for a moment.

Sirius chuckled along with her. Remus sighed, though Harry could spy his lips curling upward in a smile.

“ _ Anyways _ , if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask me or Sirius or your mother or your father.”

“Okay.” She gave them both a tight hug and then jumped into the pool. Remus straightened. 

“Oh! Sirius, do you think we should have told her about hips widening and erm…breasts?”

Sirius frowned in thought and then shook his head. “Naw. She’ll talk to Lily about that shit. Or even Madam Pomfrey.” Remus nodded, looking relieved.

~meanwhile~

Arthur coughed uncertainly and then spoke up. “Tom, Ron, I have something to talk to you about after dinner. It’s rather important.” 

Exchanging a look, Ron and Tom slowly nodded and then went back to their eating.

After they came out of Mr. Weasley’s study, Tom blinked at Ron. “Have you had any of those…dreams yet?”

Eyes wide, Ron slowly shook his head. “I still think girls are gross. Do you think I’m growing up wrong?!” Tom shook his head.

“Naw, girls mature faster than boys do. You’re probably right on track.”

“What about you?” Ron gave him a look. “And how does a guy… I thought they were just for pissing?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Haven’t been very interested in all that stuff.” Tom frowned. “But if boys have stuff called wet dreams, what do girls have?”

“Dunno, Dad didn’t say.” Ron shuddered. “I’m not planning on asking Mum.”

Tom nearly gagged. “Right.” They went back to dinner in complete silence. Ginny looked at Tom in curiosity, but he shook his head and ignored her from then on until bedtime. 

~July 31, 1993~

Harry buzzed around the house, giddy and excited. Despite Dobby’s hard work, she had seen the two-layer cake and the food being made. She knew a party was in the works. 

She looked at the Daily Prophet with a wry smile. Just this morning she had gotten a letter and a gift from Ron. The gift had been confiscated by Remus, who wanted her to open it, and the note, at the party. 

She had also gotten the letter from Hogwarts with her new list of supplies to buy. Also, she received the monster book from Hagrid with a note telling her that he, unfortunately, couldn’t be at her party. A bunch of things to do, he would explain everything when she got to school. Harry was still confused about that.

Remus was fidgeting and straightening things that didn’t need to be straightened. Harry smirked at him and then looked at Sirius. “Who’s coming?”

“Hermione and her two parents, Professor McGonagall, Blaise Zabini and his mother, the Dumbledore brothers, and the Longbottoms, and my cousin and her daughter and husband, the Tonks. I want you to meet them.” He grinned. “Grand people.”

Dobby hurried out and then snapped his fingers and all the decorations were up, then he hurried back into the kitchen, grinning madly.

Chuckling, Sirius raked a hand through his hair. “Excellent House Elf, Harry, where did you find him?”

“He used to work for the Malfoys, but I freed him, and found him searching for paid work in Diagon. No wizard was going to take a House Elf who wanted to be paid, so I knew he’d be free for the hiring.” Harry grinned at the kitchen door. “He’s none too smart, but he has a huge heart.”

“Yep. Wish I could free Kreacher and disgrace him.” Sirius snorted and started playing with a napkin.

Harry frowned. “Disgrace him?”

“Usually, when a House Elf is clothed, it means that they weren’t good enough for the family they were serving. Their entire religion, culture, and identity is wrapped up in serving the family. They were  _ born _ to serve the family, and if the family clothes them, then that means they were born for nothing.”

“Oh! Do you think Dobby-”

Laughing, Sirius shook his head. “No, that little guy is an anomaly. He  _ likes _ freedom. All the other elves will probably look on him like he’s a freak, but Dobby doesn’t seem to give a damn.” He made a face. “Maybe it was because of Grindelwald.”

Sitting down across from where he was standing, Harry pulled a face. “How so?” 

“Well, Grindelwald usually indoctrinated his followers. He seduced them with words and ideas. He didn’t cow them with fear but brainwashed them. Dobby worked for the Malfoys. He might have served throughout Grindelwald’s entire reign. So, Dobby might have heard all of Grindelwald’s speeches and come to believe, in his own way, that all were meant to be free. All, including House Elves, were meant for more, to not be squashed by rules and statutes. To not cower in fear. In his own mind, he might have taken the man’s words and rearranged them for House Elves.” Sirius shrugged. “It’s a thought at least. I don’t think asking Dobby would get you anywhere though.”

Harry hummed. “For such a nicely put together man, he really is a monster. Grindelwald orchestrated nearly all of the events in the European theatre of the second Muggle World War. He is the reason thousands upon thousands of Jewish and Gypsy witches and wizards are dead.” She looked at Remus, who had entered just now. He nodded.

“The Jewish and Gypsy witches and wizards had foresight abilities. They could see the future and were using that to smuggle Muggle Borns and their families out of the countries he controlled. He had been using them for experiments to find out how they got their magic. Grindelwald then convinced Hitler- quite easily- to target the Jews and Gypsies. The maniac did, and the ghettos and concentration camps were born. The Jewish Magical Community was decimated.”

Looking a tiny bit lost, Sirius frowned at Remus. “Ghettos? Hitler? I don’t know anything about the Muggle Wars. I actually don’t know much about Grindelwald’s crimes either.”

Both halfbloods turned and stared at him in consternation. Sirius looked a bit defensive. “Can’t help it! I’m a pureblood! Raised by that curriculum!”

“You teach him.” Harry grinned at Remus and scampered off to get changed. 

~an hour later~

Harry greeted Neville and his grandparents. “I’m so glad that you could make it!” Dobby took their coats and gloves, vanishing them into the closet beside the door.

When Remus had taken over for her, Harry turned to greet McGonagall. “I’m glad you could come, Professor. Oh! I have a quick question, can Sirius sign my permission forms or do I have to take them to my Muggle relatives?”

“Sirius can easily, Miss Potter, and happy birthday! Thank you for inviting me.” Harry grinned at her and then turned to shake hands with the Tonks family. Sirius hurried over to introduce them. 

“This is my cousin, Andromeda Tonks née Black. This is her husband, Ted Tonks, and her daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, but she just goes by Tonks. She hates the name her parents gave her, you see.”

Tonks smacked him in the chest and then grinned widely at Harry. “You have a nice normal name like Harriet. I get  _ Nymphadora _ ! Can you imagine me going through Hogwarts with  _ that _ ?!”

Harry was too busy laughing to respond. Giving them another welcome, she turned to the new family that had arrived. Hermione rushed up and gave her a very tight hug. 

“I’m so glad you have Sirius and Remus to stay with instead of those nasty Muggles!” She gave another squeeze and then pulled away, scanning her to make sure she was well. “How are you? Happy birthday by the way!”

Harry smiled at Hermione and greeted Mr and Mrs Granger over Hermione's shoulder. “I’m doing well. Staying busy. I’m teaching a few others my special magic, you see. I didn’t want to write about it in the letters, so I stayed silent until I could tell you face to face. I'll tell Ron as soon as I see him.” Hermione’s eyes widened. 

“Could I learn too?! I’d love to learn that!”

“I don’t think it would suit you, Hermione. It  _ is _ darker magic, and you are  _ quite _ the light witch.” Hermione hummed and then nodded. 

“True, I guess you’re right.” Hermione looked around quickly and then pulled Harry aside. “I spoke to my parents. They thought about it all last school year and decided that they don’t…want magic.” Hermione looked extremely disappointed. Harry sighed. 

“That’s their choice.”

“I know. I know.” Hermione moved off after her parents. She quickly turned and greeted Sirius and then introduced her parents. 

Harry noticed that the Zabinis were arriving. She smiled at them and guided them in. “I’m sure you know the Tonks and the Longbottoms. Welcome to my home, again.” Harry gave them a wide smile and then looked at the Dumbledore brothers coming in. She turned and greeted them as well.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for inviting us, Miss Potter.” Albus chuckled and then looked around, spying Remus, he smiled widely and excused himself, making for the other man quickly. Aberforth nodded to her and then went over to talk to Ted Tonks. Karina had nestled herself quite well with Andromeda.

Blaise was speaking with Hermione about something or other. Harry smiled at Sirius and then turned to say hello to the next person who had come in. She faltered and then smiled wide for Severus. “I’m very glad you could come, Professor.” He arched an eyebrow. 

“You must have snuck out the invite when Black wasn’t looking.”

Snorting, Harry personally took his coat and gloves. “Well, Remus actually helped me distract him. I nearly got caught when Sirius went to collect the RSVP mail from the owls.” Severus chuckled dryly.

“Thank you for inviting me, Miss Potter. I wouldn’t have accepted unless I knew Sirius Black might have a heart attack over it. His possible demise is what I always strive for.”

“You two say the nicest things about each other.” She gave him a vivacious and pretty smile as she walked into the house proper with him where everyone else was. 

“You know I strive to please.” He smirked at her and then grinned darkly at a flabbergasted Sirius Black.

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

“Sirius! Guests!” Remus smiled at everyone in a perfect imitation of Lockhart, pretending that the two men weren't all but growling at each other. Harry slipped between them and smiled her own pointed smile. 

“Sirius, why don’t you serve the punch.” They were having the party mostly out on the veranda. It was a nice clear day, and Harriet loved the outdoors. Severus chuckled.

“I will serve myself. Antidotes to poisons make the drink bitter.”

Sirius sneered at him. Harry and Remus rolled their eyes in tandem. Albus looked like he was enjoying himself greatly. His brother looked grimly amused, but Hermione and McGonagall simply looked exasperated.

It became Remus’ job to keep Severus and Sirius apart. Severus sneered at and mocked nearly everyone and everything unless it was Blaise and Harry. He ignored Blaise and almost doted on Harry in his usual Snape way.

She had black hair again, but she had done away with her obnoxious glasses. Remus had taken her to get contacts while Sirius had made an appointment with an eye healer specialist who could fix her vision. 

All in all, the party went quite well, no maiming, no poisoning, and no fistfights. So, quite well. Harry was very pleased. 

When it was time for the birthday girl to open her presents she beamed and opened Ron’s first, giving a pointed look at Remus as she did so. He smiled at her genially. Remus was incredibly hard to ruffle, she had noticed. She laughed at the sneakoscope and then even more as she decided to read aloud Ron’s note about Bill’s soup and the beetles. Blaise was smirking. Sirius found it hilarious. 

Hermione’s broom kit was wonderful, and Harry gave her a tight hug. 

Blaise and his mother gave her an actual flying carpet. Harry squealed and hugged him tightly. Blaise looked happily stunned after that. Sirius frowned at his reaction. Severus too was noting how Lily might have been right. Harriet Potter was becoming attractive to Slytherin boys. He would have to keep an eye on that.

Tom had written a letter, saying that he would give her present to her at school. Harry huffed but smiled nonetheless.

Hagrid had gotten her a beautiful ebony carving of a lion. The Dumbledore brothers each gave her a present of their own.

“Simply because we couldn’t agree on what to give you, my dear. So, I gift this to you.” From Albus, it was a Pensieve. Sirius and Remus promised to show her how it worked later. Harry couldn’t wait to examine her memories from a film standpoint. 

From Aberforth, it was a photograph of a beautiful black pony. A black Arabian mare by the looks of it. Harry looked at him, and he grinned. “She’s yours. Waiting for you at the stables not twenty kilometers from here. They promised to watch over her until you picked her up.”

Harry stared at the pony and then at him. 

“I can ride her even now?”

“Yep. I can teach you how to train her, hand signals, whistles, everything.” 

She jumped up and rushed over and hugged him, ignoring the fact that he was practically a stranger. He chuckled and hugged her even as she pulled away. Aberforth’s face was soft and his eyes far away, as if remembering something else. Harry smiled at him and then grinned at Albus brightly. “Thank you both!”

Going back to her presents, she got a beautiful makeup and perfume set from the Tonks Family.

From Severus, she received a full collection of her mother’s journals and school books. “I was given them by the Headmaster, and I thought you-”

Harry cut him off by rushing up and hugging him tightly, a few tears came, but nothing huge. She just hugged him and stayed there. Slowly, Severus wrapped his arms around her, not quite knowing what to do with a girl hugging him. 

Slowly pulling away, she smiled brightly at him, eyes shining with tears unshed. “Thank you…Uncle Severus.” His eyes widened, and then he smiled. Teeth grinding could be heard from Sirius’ corner. Severus’ smile turned into a smug smirk.

She placed the journals carefully to the side and then opened Sirius’ present. It was a box ticket to the Quidditch Cup Final. Harry’s eyes went wide. “REALLY?!”

“Yep.” He grinned at her. Harry was smiling in a dazed sort of way as she placed it on top of the journals and then opened the last present, from Remus. It was a beautiful collection of cookbooks and the bible of cookbooks,  _ The Joy of Cooking _ . Harry had professed the desire to learn how to cook. There were several other gifts from him too, like jewelry and clothing and books. She beamed at him and gave him a tight hug in thanks. 

After that, the party went into dessert mode with cake and ice cream. It was a wonderful day for Harry, her first real birthday party.

Too bad the Minister had to mess it up. After the fat man’s visit, Albus and Blaise came back for their class. Albus and Blaise met her precisely at nine that night. 

“Alright, tonight, I’m going to show you how seeing through Life Energy can be helpful, and be, essentially, night vision for you. You can track- if you don’t wish to kill the person- much better via this ability than any tedious tracking spell or ritual, light or dark. It’s much the same as meditating except your eyes are open, and you’re walking around.

They excelled, tracking and trying to evade each other. They never managed to find Harry though, which was their assignment, hiding from her and finding her.

After they left, Harry went straight to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments!   
> I love reading feedback from you all! : D  
> Ink...


	5. Connected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "For one blessed moment, he had been one with Albus."

~rewind a few hours~

Harry stared at the smiling and fakely genial man. The guests had left by the time he had arrived, that was the only thing to be thankful for. 

Morfin Gaunt had escaped Azkaban and everyone, Albus Dumbledore included, suspected her to be his reason for escape. She was the last person he willfully attacked and tried to hurt and kill. Besides Tom Riddle. 

But the guards had heard him mumbling, “She is at Hogwarts” in his sleep. 

Tom Riddle was not a ‘she’. 

~current time~

So, her security doubled. She wasn’t allowed to go riding on her new pony unless she was surrounded by five Aurors. 

Harriet wanted to scream at everyone that she couldn’t die, but Sirius, Remus, Severus, and Albus all told her that there were quite a few things worse than Death. She was kept securely on the Black property until the last week of summer, when she was escorted to Diagon to buy her things. The Minister had wanted to cordon off the entire street, but Albus had convinced him that was not necessary.

With Sirius linking arms with her and walking down Diagon Alley, Harry couldn’t help but think, despite Morfin, that everything was perfect. Albus and Remus were in charge of her security while in transit between the Kings’ Cross Station and Hogsmeade.

Harry spoke up. “I don’t mind Dementors, Minister. I think that would be the safest after all.” She smiled at him with a shy prettiness that made Sirius snort.

Minister Fudge stared at her in great consternation. “My dear Miss Potter, I don’t think you know what you’re asking for!”

“I do, and I think Dementors are the best security I could have. I’m sure Headmaster Dumbledore will arrange it so they stay outside of Hogwarts.” The Minister stared at her with wide eyes for a moment until he had to watch where he was going or run over a child. 

Harry hid her smile valiantly. Nodding slowly, Fudge swallowed. “Alright, if you say so.” He turned back to Dumbledore, who was also trying to hide his smile. Sirius wasn’t even trying.

They wandered Diagon until it got too much for Fudge, who excused himself to go sit his pompous arse on his office chair.

Harry didn’t give him any mind as she read up on the Firebolt. She grinned at Sirius. “And you got me one. Oh, Sirius, I’m so happy! How did you get ahead of the orders?!”

“The Black Family can do anything.” He winked at her and then focused on their shopping. “New robes. I think more pretty dresses and bespoke Muggle outfits would be good as well. Also, you need your books, potions, and what else?”

“Oh! I need a new cauldron.”

“Righto!” Sirius grinned.

They were very quick to get all the shopping done. Harry enjoyed her ice cream at Fortescue's. Sirius got a scoop of vanilla and strawberry with choco sprinkles. Albus Dumbledore got an extravagant dessert with lots of sweets and four scoops of ice cream all different flavors. Harry gave his a look and then looked at her own simple vanilla, single scoop waffle cone. She looked at his again and then handed her untouched one to Remus- who was about to order the same as hers- and then she stepped up to the man at the counter. “I want what he’s got.” She pointed to Albus.

Laughing, Albus winked at her. “Always had a sweet tooth, my dear. Always. My first word was candy, if my father could be believed.” He chuckled. Sirius snorted. They ate their cones as they walked down the street, having sent their things ahead with Dobby. Harriet’s and Albus’ dessert monsters each had gummy brooms, star sprinkles, and one scoop each of strawberry, chocolate, caramel, and fudge ice cream, all held together in an upside-down witch’s hat sugar cone. A lot of children saw their concoctions and wanted one.

Albus looked very proud of his ability to instill sugar greed in others. Harry grinned at him, deeming the old guy ‘not bad at all’. They finished after that and then met up with Tom, Ron, and Hermione. Sirius and Remus stayed with them. 

Tom quickly pushed the other two away and pulled Harry aside. “Harry! I wasn’t allowed to tell you this by Mrs. Weasley, but I say to hell with that. I was informed that my uncle escaped-”

“I was told by Sirius after the Minister tried to keep it from me. The old fool. I know all about it, Tom.” She smirked at him. “Another year of people trying to kill me.” Shrugging carelessly, she gave vent to an airy laugh. “Ah well, what would I do without my enemies? I’d simply die of boredom without them.”

“Harry, you can’t make jokes like that! Morfin may be utterly insane, but he’s powerful!” Tom gave her a dark, reproachful look. Harry tapped him on the nose with a laugh.

“Frowning makes frown lines, Tom.” With that, she gave Ginny a tight hug and then greeted the rest of the Weasley Family. When she got to Mrs. Weasley, she gave her a very cool smile. “Mrs Weasley, I would thank you to refrain from trying to keep life-threatening things from me. It is an excellent thing that my godfather doesn’t practice that dangerous habit. Keeping me in the know is the best thing to do. Please remember this when you tell my best friends to lie to me next time.” 

With that, she turned and gave Hermione another hug, leaving the shocked woman behind her. Harry would not tolerate any secrecy. If the information concerned her future, her life, or her past, she  _ deserved _ to know. No adult would dare keep it from her. She would not tolerate it.

Tom was staring at her in shock. “You just shut her down.”

Ron was shocked too, though he thankfully didn’t look angry about it. “Yeah. Wish I had the guts to do that.”

Speaking up with mirth in his voice, Sirius spoke lowly, “You are Molly’s spawn, Ron. You can’t fight her. Nor can Tom, not really. He’s her ward. But Harriet is not her daughter. She is not her ward. She is not her anything. So for the woman to try and control Harry’s life like that…well, it’s insulting to me and Harriet.” He shrugged. “Like saying I’m not a good enough guardian for Harry Berry.”

Harry smirked at him. “You’re damn good enough, Sirius. I won’t let anyone doubt that.”

They didn’t hear Molly Weasley muttering about allowing a child to say such language. Arthur did though. He merely sighed. Molly wished to take care of everyone, even children not her own. He kissed his wife gently and distracted her.

After spending the entire day with them, Harry had to tear herself away and go home. She would be having her second night classes with Severus and Karina tonight.

Severus excelled far more than Karina, but that didn't mean she didn't hold her own. Neither of them could find Harriet, but Severus nearly did quite a few times. Karina evaded both of them nearly as well as Severus did. 

Harry caught her manipulating shadows though, which made Severus call ‘cheat!’ Cheekily, Karina claimed ‘Slytherin’, and he couldn't complain anymore which made Harry laugh.

~meanwhile~

Albus smiled widely. Miss Potter was turning out to be a well of information. Aberforth- he was staying at the Dumbledore home to keep an eye on him- looked up when Albus entered.

“How’d the lesson go last night?”

“Fine. Fine.” Albus cheerfully poured himself some port. He dropped his glamour (he had long since obliviated the Aurors who saw him) and relaxed into his chair. “Harriet is a master teacher. I think she should look into a position in Hogwarts later in life.” He smiled into his glass.

“Is it difficult?” Aberforth looked at him with interest.

Musing, Albus frowned and then shook his head. “No. Not very. Challenging yes, but not difficult to understand.”

Humming, Aberforth nodded and turned back to his paper. “Have you checked in on him yet?”

“No. I should…but I would really rather not.” Albus exhaled and closed his eyes, Gellert’s smiling face etched into his mind’s eye. “He wants me, Ab.”

“Do you want him?” The question was very calmly asked. No accusation, none at all. It made Albus’ neck hair prickle. Aberforth was always judgemental of him. To have him not be was unnatural.

Realizing he took too long to answer, Albus exhaled and shook his head. “Every time I see him, I see her. Bleeding and dead. I see villages burning. I see an entire race of people nearly eradicated. I see death. Destruction.”  _ Yearning. Allure. Want. _ He shoved that away.

Aberforth was staring at him. “He’s not done with you.”

“Obviously, Brother.”

Aberforth’s eyes were old but keen. “Well?”

Exhaling again, Albus stood up angrily. Anger he hadn’t felt for a long while. “What do you want from me? I am attracted to him, yes! I fear I will always be! But I know better! I will not be seduced by him again, Aberforth! Goodnight!” He stormed out of the room. “I’m going to bed.”

“Goodnight, Albus. Pleasant dreams.”

Pleasant dreams indeed. Albus feared he would not sleep a wink tonight.

~the next day~

Albus rose early, knowing that the scant few hours he slept were all that he would be getting. His dreams had been plagued with roaming hands and soft sheets and crooned whispers. 

Shaking his head sharply, he pulled on his dressing robe and went downstairs to join his naturally early rising brother.

“Did I wake you?”

“No.” Albus poured himself some coffee, opting out on the tea. Aberforth, curse him, noted this and lifted an eyebrow.

“Unpleasant dreams?”

“Dearest brother, shut your gob.” Albus wasn’t playing games this early. He only pretended to be an early riser so he could mess with Severus and Minerva. Seeing as they were not here, he couldn’t be bothered to be cheerful.

Chuckling, Aberforth poured syrup onto his waffles and then powdered sugar. (Both brothers were victims of a massive sweet tooth.)

The fire lit up, filling with the unpleasant image of Minister Fudge’s face. Aberforth mumbled how he was now put off his tea. Albus snorted and then faced the nervous man, pulling up his glamour as he did so.

“Yes, Minister?” Albus didn’t show how he was still irritated with the wretched human for dismissing his ideas of tracking Morfin through actual tracking spells instead of relying on Dementors only. He had to have tricked them by escaping, so they were unreliable. Fudge had hotly replied that when he wanted Albus’ help, he would ask for it.

_ “I’m in need of assistance, Albus.” _

Giving him a long stare, Albus smiled pleasantly. “Funny how that works.” Aberforth into snorted his tea.

Fudge blithely ignored him and his brother.  _ “We have discovered what Grindelwald was after in Sweden near Durmstrang. However, none of my people are able to make heads or tails of it. If you would be so good as to come down and see if you have seen this before, I would be much appreciative.” _

“Gladly. I’ll come directly. As soon as I am finished with my coffee. I thank you for thinking of me, Minister.”

_ “Well, good. See you then.” _ He cut the connection abruptly. Aberforth barked a laugh that sounded more like a growl. 

“Why do you let that man walk over you?!” He glared at Albus.

Taking a deep breath, Albus silently prepared himself for another early round of nitpicking. However, it didn’t come. He looked up to see his brother staring at him expectantly. Clearing his throat, Albus played for time as he marshaled his thoughts. “It’s less messy. If I were to fight him, then nothing would get done. However, if I tolerate his stupidity, trick him into thinking that he thought of the plans that I have already suggested, then at least  _ some _ of what I want gets accomplished. Life is much more peaceful.”

Aberforth rolled his eyes angrily. “How the devil did he get elected?” 

“Nepotism.” Albus ignored the bark of laughter from his brother, thinking next on what they might have found in Sweden. The thought that it could be a trap placed for him was not lost on him. Albus knew he had to be careful.

When he was finished, he, and his watchdog of a brother, went to the Ministry. Going directly to the Department of Mysteries, Albus looked over the relic that was being guarded. He swallowed, as he quickly realized what it was.  _ A Hallow. It is the Gaunt Ring, the Resurrection Stone.  _ Swallowing again, he looked at his brother and nodded. “A hallow.”

“The devil did he hide it for?!” Aberforth stepped closer and stared at it. “That the symbol?”

“Yes.” Albus sighed and moved to pick it up. Aberforth moved to stop him. Albus chuckled. “Calm yourself. There is nothing wrong with this. You cannot lay curses or enchantments on this relic.” Albus picked it up and then promptly dropped it with a gasp. Something burned inside him.

_ ‘True, you cannot if you are not a Necromancer, Albus…but that is what I am, Darling.’ _

_ ‘What?! No! Get out!’ _

_ ‘I am not in you. I am connected to you. Remember when I held your soul in my hands? Yes, I made your soul open to mine. I poured some of myself, not my actual soul mind you, just my energy and magic, into the stone. So when you touched it, you opened yourself to me, my darling.’ _

_ ‘Your magic is bound!’ _

_ ‘True, I am living vicariously through yours. Remember, nothing is impossible with Soul Magic.’ _

_ ‘Soul Magic. Soul Magic. Harriet!’ _ Albus swallowed and rushed out, heedless of his brother’s cries.

~meanwhile~

Harry was having a normal morning, so that obviously meant something had to make it abnormal.

The headmaster rushing into her living room truly did that job.

She had him lay down and placed her hand on his torso, not where the soul was but it helped her concentrate.

Closing her eyes, she found the connection and severed it. Exhaling, she realized that Albus Dumbledore needed more lessons than just once a week. She released him and looked at him seriously.

“Sirius, Remus, I need to be alone with the headmaster.”

They left. 

“Harriet?”

Shaking her head, she rubbed her face. “He’s learning. He’s researching. When he saw how good I was, when he learned that I am an Apprentice of Death, equal to Morgana, he started upping his game, and you are being the prey to it.” She swallowed and looked at the man. His eyes were guarded. “If and when he regains his magic, he will be able to re-connect you to him. This is purely for communication. He has no control over what you do or think, and he will not be able to listen in on your thoughts. You must be consciously, mentally, talking to him. But  _ he _ will be able to speak to you any time he wishes. Sort of like a one-way firecall. However, now that he’s done this, it’s just one step away from brainwashing you through constant repetition. Don’t underestimate simple communication.” She stood up. “You need more training. You need to become a master Necromancer in only a year. You need to learn to sever the communication as I did but on your own. Do you think you can do that?” She stared at him hard. He nodded.

“Yes. I can.” His eyes were clear and determined. Harry grinned. 

“So, he wants you. Badly. You are his weakness.” She stared at her headmaster intently. Albus gave her a narrow-eyed stare. She waved his suspicions away. “Please, I’m not you. I won’t use this against you. I’ve got too much trouble of my own. No. It’s just food for thought that I’m offering to you.” She inclined her head and stared at the carpet tiredly.

Giving her a concerned looked, he stood up slowly. “How have you been sleeping?”

“Badly. But that’s neither here nor there. Um, I think I can teach you at the end of the day every day.”

“Harriet! We’re not going to make it to the station in time if you don’t get ready now, apparating or not!” Remus popped his head into the room. Albus straightened up his robes.

“Yes, I mustn’t detain you. Thank you for helping me, Miss Potter.”

“Don’t mention it, Headmaster.” She grinned at him and then grew serious. “When he gets his magic back, I will not be able to stop him. It will be up to you and your skills in what I call Soul Occlumency.”

“I understand. Thank you, and I will take you up on your offer.” He smiled and left the house. 

~meanwhile~

Gellert exhaled. For one blessed moment, he had been one with Albus, then Harriet cut them apart.  _ She really is becoming quite a nuisance. I hope Morfin succeeds where Weasley failed. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love! Thank you for reading!  
> Ink...


	6. A Shift Sideways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pansy goes too far, and Harry begins the creation of her own demon.

~at the same time as Albus’ visit~

Tom hefted a growing Nagini around his shoulders.  _ “Master, why can we not apparate there? It is uncomfortable, but faster.” _

_ “We can’t apparate because, I have to arrive with the rest of the students, not before them.” _

_ “They should teach children at this age. More efficient.” _

Tom stuck his tongue in his cheek. _ “True, but the Ministry does not want a bunch of children popping in and out of everywhere.” _

His familiar hissed unhappily. Tom snorted and chose a seat. He looked out at where the entrance to the platform was. Suddenly, he straightened and watched as Harriet came flying through. Her green eyes were lit up with glee. Her hair was strangely bright blonde this time with streaks of black in it. Distracting, but pleasing. She looked far too carefree for someone who was being hunted.

Sighing, Tom shook his head.  _ She never cares about herself, only others.  _ Watching as she hugged Sirius Black goodbye, he raised an eyebrow when her other uncle, Remus Lupin, came with her onto the train.

The door was thrown open by Ron, who was arguing loudly with Hermione about that nasty cat. Tom, for once, agreed with Ron. Crookshanks was…disgusting. His familiar was left alone by the beast, but only because Nagini could very easily squeeze it to death or tear its throat open. Not to mention kill it with venom.

Thus, Tom and Nagini were quite safe from the demon in fur. But Ron’s new rat- quite an upgrade from Scabbers, this one could do flips- did not seem to care much for the hissing monster.

Harry slipped in sans her uncle. Tom made room for her on his seat. She joined him and then pointedly raised an eyebrow at the spitting mad couple. “What are they battling out now?”

Snorting with surprising dignity, Tom explained the furry situation.

Making a face, Harry winced. “Ouch. That cat…is either a  _ very _ large house cat or a very small tiger.” Tom covered his smile with his hand. Harry turned and greeted a preening Nagini. She cooed and traced the scales. “Beautiful as always Nagini. Freshly shedded?”

“Yes, Mrs. Weasley was quite happy with the free potion ingredient.” They snickered. “How’s Hedwig?”

“Flying. She hates to travel by train.” Harry looked out the window wistfully. “Wish I could travel by wing.” That set Tom’s imagination alight. 

To fly without a broom. He frowned in concentration. Ron broke into his thoughts. “Percy made it as Head Boy, by the way. I wrote it in my letter. George and Fred are giving him a bad time of it.” Ron rolled his eyes. “Big Head is more like it, honestly. He’s all puffed up that he knows Harry Potter.”

Harry gave a pretty blush and then promptly changed the subject. “My Uncle Remus is teaching Defense this year.”

Hermione beamed just as Ron paled. “What about the curse?!”

Whacking him over the head, Hermione huffed. “There is no curse! Silly!”

Tom tutted. “Then care to explain how there is never a DADA teacher who lasts more than a year at school? Since 1902?”

Frowning, Harry looked at him curiously. Tom thrilled at being the center of her attention. He deserved that spot. “Why that date specifically?”

Shrugging, Tom smiled at her. “That was when a Dark Wizard tried to get that position and was denied. He was said to have cursed it so none could have it.”

Humming in interest, Harry gave Hermione an uncertain look. “That is quite the cat you have there, Hermione.”

“Isn’t he the cutest thing?!” Harry smiled pleasantly while completely disagreeing with her. 

Eventually, talk went to the Hogsmeade trips. Harry remained quiet while they spoke about it, remembering what Minister Fudge said about it.  _ “Out of the question, my dear! Hogwarts is secure, but Hogsmeade? Out of the question.” _ Dumbledore hadn’t been inclined to debate it with him either. 

“What are you looking forward to, Harry?” Hermione looked at her with sparkling eyes. Harry smiled at her, stuffing her jealousy inside her. 

“The candies you’ll bring back for me to taste.” Tom stirred.

“What?” He looked at her with concern.

Harry conveyed extreme nonchalance as she shrugged her shoulders. “Because of my increased security risk, I am not allowed to venture outside the school grounds unless guarded by three Aurors. Rather stupid if you ask me. Morfin is no Gellert Grindelwald, and I’ve actively fought  _ him _ twice, beating him three times.”

They all looked disappointed for her. Ron thought about smuggling her, but he was shot down by both Tom and Hermione. It was at this moment that Draco, Blaise, and Draco’s two guards (the apes otherwise known as Crabbe and Goyle) entered the compartment. They didn’t give Ron or Hermione a single glance, nodding once to Harry and then speaking quietly to Tom.

Draco drawled out lazily, “Pansy is out for blood, Tom. She’s pissed off that Little Miss Potter is getting all the attention.” Harry laughed lightly. 

“Oh, when she comes, we’ll have tea with poison.” She smiled prettily at them. Tom exhaled tiredly. 

“Harriet, this is not a laughing matter.  _ None _ of this is a laughing matter.” He gave her a hard look. “Pansy is willing to destroy your reputation!” 

Harry snorted. “As the heiress to the Black House, no one can afford to give me a bad reputation, Tom. I’m also the Potter Heir. The Minister cannot afford to anger me. If he tries to perform a slur campaign sometime in the future, my godfather and Albus Dumbledore will slaughter him.” She laughed as if talking about Christmas or something.

Pansy did indeed drop by. With her posse of stupid yes girls. Harriet simply smiled at her. “Did you hear about my uncle becoming a teacher, Pansy? I’m quite excited.” The girl frowned at her with eyes narrowing. Harry wasn’t being subtle about it. They both knew that she would use her uncle’s position to her benefit.

“Whatever, just another example of you being spoiled rotten. I thought all orphans were supposed to be poor as church mice?” The girls chuckled in back up to Pany’s not very good joke.

Leaning forward, Tom stood up slowly. “Oh? I didn't hear about this. Go ahead, Pansy, enlighten me…”

Paling, Pansy beat a hasty retreat. Harry frowned and looked at the boy. Her reaction was concerning. It was like Pansy had been truly terrified for her life.

“Tom?”

“Yes?” He looked at her curiously. Harry hummed and then shook her head. 

“Nevermind.” She stood up and stretched. “I’m going to take a little walk. See you all soon.” With that, she hurried out. 

It didn’t take long for her to make it to the caboose. Smiling, Harry quickly teleported to the top of the train. The wind whipped at her hair and clothes. She smiled into the gusts and closed her eyes. Then, she lifted her arms before tilting her head back and staring into the darkening sky.

The dementors rushed to her, swarming around her in circles. The air turned icy.  _ “Apprentice! We beg forgiveness for allowing your attacker to flee. We will consume him the moment we find him again.” _

Harry snorted and shook her head.  _ “I am the Apprentice of Death! What sort would I be if a mortal worried me? I only ask one thing of you, Angvash, and your group. Do not go near those students, no matter how delightful their energy is, that is my order to you.” _

The dementors grudgingly acquiesced. Harry gave them another smile before drawing loose energy around her and then feeding it into the dementors. They screamed in delight and then slid away quickly to continue their guarding her. That had been their reward for obeying her.

Exhaling, Harry slipped back down to the platform of the caboose and then back into the train. She couldn’t wait until the train arrived at Hogsmeade. She couldn’t wait until she could go to school again. Her eyes were shining at the thought of pitting herself against someone who had been cunning enough to escape Azkaban. Harry knew that she had a certain adrenaline addiction. She loved the idea of being the prey and then suddenly turning into the predator.

As the train pulled into the station, Harry frowned when she sensed a dementor coming too close to the train. She looked over and saw Angvash trying to stop him, but the dementor rushed towards her undaunted. With growing fear, Harriet immediately tensed when she realized it was a rogue. And of bloody course, she couldn't fight back with shadows since the students were right there too! 

The dementors screamed at it as the rogue tried to attack her. She had never been affected by the dementors before for the very simple reason that they never tried to consume her. They respected her titles, but collecting the soul of the Apprentice of Death was sometimes too tempting for the ones who didn't obey Death. Harry’s magical energy and soul would be a delicacy to the dementor currently consuming her. Harry couldn't breathe. She couldn't think, all her senses narrowed down to the chilling touch of the Dementor and the growing despair inside her. She heard screaming, Grindelwald’s voice casting the Killing Curse. She heard her mother begging. With a weak snarl, Harry glared up at the thing even as her legs fell out from under her. She could hear her friends’ screams mingling with her mother’s. 

Suddenly, the strength came flooding back. Harry blinked and then realized that Angvash was returning the stolen power. She inhaled and jerked upward. All the students were staring at her in utter shock as the dementor removed his hands from over her heart and mouth. Eyes fluttering, she waved the dementor away. “Thank you.” He understood English but didn’t bother replying.

He floated back upward and then led the group away from the station, dragging the rogue with him. When the paralyzing fear was over, her friends rushed to her. Remus was all but stuffing a piece of chocolate into her mouth. 

“What the hell was that?!” That has been someone from the crowd.

Remus looked up and explained. “Dementors have a rarely seen ability called re-feeding. It’s how they return power that they stole from a person. They feed on the human’s soul and life energy, you see.” He looked at the sky and then turned back to Harry. “The Minister must have given them a specific order of keeping Harriet Potter alive at all cost. That other dementor was a rogue. There are those out there who are not under the control of the Ministry. They will never obey the wizards or witches that command the others. It was trying to consume Harriet.” He looked pale.

Tom held Harry close against him as Remus explained how Harry had very nearly died. Hermione blinked and inhaled. “What you’re saying is that the dementors just _saved_ Harry’s life?”

“Yes.” Remus checked Harry again. She smiled at her friends. 

“I’m fine, guys, really. It barely winded me.”

“Winded you, Potter? You were swooning like the classic fairy princess! Do be careful, or you're going to faint again! You mustn’t upset your delicate senses!”

Harry closed her eyes and then surged up, not even swaying and moved quickly across the platform, stopping directly in Pansy’s personal bubble. Her eyes were glittering like the Avada Kedavra Curse. “You will find, Pansy, that my sensibilities are very strong. I could, for example, not even flinch if I cut you to pieces.” She pulled back and smiled at the stunned girl. “So I would be careful what you say about others. It might not always be true.” Sashaying back to her friends, she smiled cheekily at Tom and then grabbed her handbag that Sirius bought her, and then apparated to the school’s boundaries. Tom vanished after her.

~the next morning~

Harry exhaled and smiled brightly as she entered the hall with her friends, but her smile faltered when she noticed Pansy giving a ridiculous impression of her fainting. Tom was watching with a dark look on his face. 

Crossing her arms, Harry felt the temperature drop and knew Death was standing behind her.  _ “ _ That mortal is being tedious.”

_ ‘Yes, I know.’ _ Harry merely thought her reply, not being in a position where she could speak. ‘ _ Wish I could feed her to a dementor. What happened to that other one?’ _

“He is being punished. Don’t worry. To attack an Apprentice is…unwise. He must have been starving.”

_ ‘I see.’ _ She sat beside her friends and then gave Tom a wave. The students were all talking about their new classes and their schedules. Harry frowned at Hermione. 

“What in the bloody world? Hermione, what’s up with your class schedule?” Ron wanted to know as well. Hermione, however, simply brushed both of them off nervously. Harry narrowed her eyes at her friend. 

Death had slipped away to deal with the dementors. A visit from him would be enough to get them back on their toes again, if they had toes. Harry really didn’t know, nor did she want to know.

Meanwhile, Harry had to get to class. They took a while trying to find the Divs classroom. Sighing, they climbed the ladder. Immediately, Harry got the feeling that she had made a very bad mistake in signing up. As the class wore on, Harry was trying hard not to laugh. 

So, she was going to die? Ha!

Harry gave the teacher a wide smile. “But Professor Trelawney, why are you so eager to deprive the magical world of the Girl Who Lived? According to some, I and Headmaster Dumbledore are the only two who have a chance to defeat Grindelwald. If I’m dead, like you seem to want, then the entire world will fall to him.” She smiled at the woman prettily. “But, it doesn’t much matter so never mind.”

Trelawney opened and then shut her mouth in surprise. Harry laughed brightly and continued on. “If I have the grim, then I’ll train him to fetch and get rid of the annoying souls around me. Especially if their _Muggle_ _Borns_. Wouldn’t that be _nice_?! Everyone wanted me to be a killer so badly last year. I’d hate to disappoint them!” She gave everyone a bright, cutting smile that caused them to look down in shame. They knew she was taunting them for their past accusation. 

Trelawney hurried on with the lesson. Harry gave Hermione a wink and then spoke quietly, “I’ve met the Grim. He’s actually kinda cute, and such a darling. Loves getting his belly scratched.” Hermione giggled. Of course, Harry didn’t tell her friends about how his teeth almost always have blood in them…nor did she tell them that his favorite game was ‘Fetch the Femur’.

They walked quickly out of the classroom when Trelawney dismissed them. Harry smirked and then suddenly pointed behind Lavender and screamed, “WATCH OUT! THE GRIM!”

Both she and Parvati screamed, dropped their books, and started running. Harry actually fell onto the floor, laughing. Their reactions, and those around them, had been priceless. Hermione was snickering along with Ron as they helped her up. They hurried to McGonagall’s class still giggling like mad and running away from the very pissed off Lavender and Parvati. 

Professor McGonagall jerked up when they burst in, the two girls screaming in outrage at Harry. Harry simply looking smug. She spoke before they could.

“Trelawney just predicted that I would get mauled by the Grim, the Omen of Death, and I simply wanted to alleviate the tension that my dear roommates were feeling from her class.” Harry put on an innocent face. “You shouldn’t scream at a girl destined to die, Parvati, it’s bad luck.” 

She sat down at her desk and smirked at the rest of the class. “Don’t know why everyone’s so shocked! Of course I’m going to die. I have come close to dying several times a year since I first turned eleven. One of these years, I’m going to run out of luck. Hopefully, that happens  _ after _ Grindelwald is defeated completely, or everyone’s screwed.” She gave a laugh and fell back onto her chair with a careless grace that showed off supreme indifference.

McGonagall gave Harry a warning look before continuing her lessons. Everyone had stopped thinking Harry was suicidal, but the rumors would start up again if she continued talking like that.

Tom was giving her a dark look of disapproval. She rolled her eyes in his direction.

~Hagrid’s first class~

Scanning the girl’s soul and seeing her intentions, Harry quickly became furious and moved smoothly up to Pansy and slapped her  _ hard _ across the face. Everyone went still.

She spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, voice like ice. “You’re done, Pansy. I enjoyed playing with you, but you’ve gone too far. You should  _ never _ involve those I love in our little game of self-destruction.” She turned and marched off to the headmaster’s office. She spoke the bypass code and slipped in. “I’m buying Buckbeak from Hogwarts school, Headmaster. And while I’m at it, can I use your fireplace?”

Albus blinked and then nodded, waving his hand at the fireplace. “Of course, and I will draw up the necessary papers.” She nodded to him and then floocalled her godfather.

Sirius’ head popped up in the fireplace. “ _ Yo, Headmaster! Oh! Hey, sweet pea! What can I do for you?” _

“Just wanted you to buy up all the shares of South Park Jewelers, and bankrupt the Parkinsons. I want them penniless and on their knees by the end of the year, Sirius. Do it with my money, will you please?”

Sirius blinked at her and then smiled a sharp, Black smile.  _ “Someone finally put a bee in your bonnet, Harry Berry? I never thought I’d see the day.” _

Smirking, Harry stood up and stared at him. “Pansy Parkinson is going to try to get Hagrid fired and an innocent creature killed just to save face. I’m done playing with my food.” Her eyes flashed. “I’m going in for the kill. Buy up the company, Sirius, using my money, and then hire Mr. Parkinson to manage it, but make it clear, he is my employee.” She frowned in thought. “Don’t let the newspapers find out.”

Grinning darkly, Sirius winked at her. “ _ You are beginning to think like a true Marauder, Harry Berry. I’m proud of you. I’ll see it done.” _ With a wink, he signed off. Albus watched her curiously.

“Care to tell me what just happened? Why should Hagrid be fired?” She recounted everything. Albus pursed his lips. “Silly, vicious, little girl. Thank you for letting me know about this. I will see that the feathers of the school governors’ are soothed.” She snorted and then gave him a soft ‘thank you’ before leaving the office and returning directly to her class.

Rumors of the showdown spread over the school. It was similar to how she had faced off Pansy last year. They were beginning to think she wasn’t going to do anything but talk, but Harry was smiling like a cat who ate the canary. And she was smiling straight at Pansy.

She wasn’t playing anymore. She wasn’t a child and childish bullying was beneath her. If Pansy wanted their fight to include other people, then Harry would bring Pansy’s family and future, and family business in with them.

She looked at Hagrid after dinner and grinned. “You won’t get fired, Hagrid. Don’t worry.” Something about her tone must have let him know she knew something he didn’t. Nevertheless, he did look comforted and gave her a hug in return.

Even if he shouted at them later for wandering around after dark. Tom shouted at them too, when Hagrid escorted them back. Harry merely smiled through it all, ignoring them completely.


	7. You Are Not She

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death gives Harry a very important lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yeah, I know, some people don't think boggarts can talk or speak to the individual, but I'm thinking anything's possible with a magical creature. So that's what I decided. A talking boggart. ; D  
> Ink...

~later that week~

Harry watched as Pansy- who seemed to think she had just been bluffing- swaggered into the classroom. 

Even after befriending Snape and teaching him Necromancy, Harry knew that the man had a reputation to keep, so she really wasn’t surprised when he continued to abuse her friends and ignore her. She was mostly amused. However, she became quite entertained when Pansy thought she could manipulate Harry into doing her potion for her.

She smiled at Pansy. “Of course I’ll chop your roots for you.” She flipped the knife expertly and sliced the roots quickly. She had enjoyed the actual work of making the potion and following the instructions, but the potions she made never had that flair that Tom’s had. They would work in a pinch, but they wouldn’t work flawlessly. Her work in Potions was mediocre, and Harry was hoping trawling through her mother’s notes would change that eventually. She wanted that knack Tom and Snape had. Even Hermione’s methodical rule-following was better than Harry’s rule-following. Which was completely unfair in Harry’s opinion.

Pansy watched as Harry swiftly did her work and then continued on with her own. Her humor had shrunk when she realized that Harry wasn’t going to balk or fight her like Ron looked like he obviously wanted to. Hermione and Tom had held him back.

She switched targets and started up on Morfin Gaunt, who had been spotted not too far from the school. Of course, she was just stupid enough to not notice how still Tom had gone. She also- like everyone else except a select few in the Ministry- did not know Morfin was Tom’s uncle.

She started going on and on about Harry being hunted by a madman who was more like an animal. “In fact, I should think he would be related to Weasley. Both of them are more like animals!” The Slytherin girls laughed, but Draco was beginning to pale, as was Blaise. They were seeing Tom’s anger, though they didn't know why he was enraged.

Ron wasn’t even getting angry, too busy looking repeatedly over at Tom. Tom turned to Harry. “Was it all talk, Harry? Or are you up to something?” His eyes flashed in quiet, seething rage. “Because if you aren’t planning anything, then I will deal with her.”

Pansy clammed up fast. She was going white and looking rapidly between the two of them.

Humming, Harry smiled at Tom and waved her silver knife in the air. “We really should talk about it later, Tom. But, I do have something planned. Something long term and devastating, but maybe you could whip up something short term and equally devastating?” She smiled at him sweetly and then turned back to her potion. 

Snape was watching them with interest, curious as to what got his unflappable Necromancy teacher in a twist. He would have to ask Albus. The man seemed to know everything.

He frowned when he suddenly remembered that he would be taking a class with her in the middle of the woods tomorrow. A test in the Language of Death. 

A test he hadn’t had a chance to study for.

_ Shit. _

Harry glanced over at him and smirked as he set down Neville’s toad. She knew what he was thinking of course. He could feel the tickle as she scanned his soul, but there was nothing he could do to stop her. He wasn’t trained enough in it. Even being able to identify it happening was advanced according to Harriet.

Her smile widened in dark delight, and he felt her voice in his mind.  _ ‘Sirius will get a better grade than you will if you don’t study, Severus.’ _ He gritted his teeth and then counted off five points for the potion being right. 

_ I will! And I’ll get a better grade than he anytime! _ He sniffed slightly and then dismissed the class.

Harry tuned back into what Tom was saying as they left, but Ron suddenly noticed that Hermione was missing. And then, she appeared suddenly in front of them. Harry frowned and stared at her nervous and lying friend.

Answering Ron’s question after Hermione hurried off, Harry spoke up icily. “She is up to something, Ron. She is, and I don’t like it.” She strode away fast. Tom and Ron hurried to catch up. Their next class was DADA.

~sometime later~

Standing in the teachers’ lounge, Harry stared at the line of which she was steadily moving to the front. She didn’t know her fear. She really didn’t. She had told her friends that she was afraid of them dying, but even then, she would be able to see them after death. She wasn’t afraid of Grindelwald, not really. She wasn’t afraid of death, having already died. She wasn’t afraid of Morfin. She wasn’t afraid of silly things like spiders or mummies or trolls. She didn’t know what she was afraid of, and she also really didn’t want to find out.

Tom stepped quickly in front of it and then raised his wand, but he faltered and then froze completely. It was Harry’s corpse lying over a grave with only  _ ‘Unknown Orphan’ _ written on its tombstone.

He swallowed and then snarled out the spell. It turned into Pansy’s corpse in a garishly pink dress lying in front of a grave marked ‘ _ Princess Pug’ _ . The class laughed, eager for humor.

Harry stepped out from behind a relieved Tom. She looked at Remus and then nodded her head. He sighed but stepped back. She wanted to find out what she was most afraid of. She didn’t, but she did just the same. Taking a deep breath, Harry raised her wand and watched.

The boggart stopped and then floated in front of her, shapeless, black. Suddenly it shifted into the corpse of her friends but then cracked out before she could do anything. It turned into Grindelwald but didn’t keep that shape for long. She wasn’t afraid of any of that, and somehow it knew. 

Then, it went still again. Harry gripped her wand tighter as it shifted and morphed into the shape of a woman. The woman slowly became more distinct. There were gasps behind her as everyone realized that this was Harriet. An older version of her. The woman was dressed in living shadows, every inch of her body covered in them, with black lipstick and black nails and dark kohl lining her eyes setting off the bone-white complexion of her skin. There was a nasty grin on her face, and cruel insanity in her sharp, red eyes. She looked like she had just destroyed the world and had laughed at the entertainment it brought her. 

Her black hair was floating around her as she raised her hands slowly. “ _ Are you really afraid of yourself? Why? Why should you fear your own power? Why should you resist this? You know you aren’t afraid of anything. Not really. You have nothing to fear. You don’t need to. Go on! You know you’re curious! Take it… The world is at your tender mercy! The people are begging you to right the wrongs of the Ministry.”  _

Her eyes flashed with cruelty and delight. She was beautiful. 

Terrible. 

Enchanting. 

Alive. 

_ “You want to feel? Then feel the power at your fingertips. Feel the pain, the exhilaration! The world is lying at your feet, Harriet! Why stop? Why refrain when you can simply take it all for your own? Go on. Take the world by STORM!”  _ The shadows spread, rolling off of her like living snakes and unfurling around the room like some demented flower. Her hands reached forward and closer to Harry.

Harry stepped back, face pale, eyes narrow. “I fear you, because power unlimited is  _ always _ to be feared.” She snapped her wand up. “RIDDIKULUS!” The force of her spell knocked the boggart back into the closet. Lupin slammed it shut and locked it. She didn’t look at anyone as she left the teacher’s lounge. She didn’t care if class was over or not. She was done.

Tom called after her, but she didn’t care to wait.

The story of Snape’s crossdressing, and Harry’s alter ego, spread around the school like wildfire. It caused Snape to be in a vicious mood. Also, he got a lower grade than he had wanted in his language test. Harry hadn’t rubbed it in, but she had also refused to inform him what Sirius got. That made him act foul to Gryffindors even more. 

Harry didn’t give a damn. She was too busy trying to get Tom off her case. He was afraid that she was still doing Necromancy on the sly because of her fear. Somehow it had cemented his fear of Necromancy turning her into a monster. She hated Trelawney, because laughing at the woman’s attempts to make her afraid was tiring. 

Every night she visited Albus in his tower office and trained him hard. Snape heard about these and wanted to join in, but the fast pace made him think twice. He backed down when Albus personally asked him to allow the headmaster to be alone with Miss Potter. Snape was burning with curiosity though. 

The days passed swiftly but were grueling for her students. She had started to push them harder, wanting them to learn quickly. Harry was unrelenting, taking to punishing them whenever they spoke in English instead of the Language of Death. Yes, she was starting to only speak in that language instead for all her lectures. It made it much harder, but they had to get through it. 

She caught Aberforth doing a translation spell on his ears and punished him by sending him through the veil into the Underworld, straight to the middle of the fields of punishment. He came back sixty seconds later and promptly threw up. He refused to speak about what he saw. 

It fact, she was quickly turning into Snape in teaching style. Pass or fail. Snape didn’t much like having the shoe on the other foot.

It was a month into the school year and the first Hogsmeade weekend was now happening. Harry watched out the window as everyone was tromping out of the castle and towards the village.  She sensed Snape.  _ “What do you want?” _ He glanced around, but she turned and stared at him.  _ “No. Do not look. Scan. You will find that nobody, not even a portrait, is on this floor. Are you a Necromancer or not, Severus? I’m beginning to doubt.” _

He glared at her but spoke haltingly,  _ “Why do you push me more than Albus?” _ It had truly been bothering him. She had been pushing both he and the headmaster more than the others but he most of all.

Harry exhaled and shook her head.  _ “Because as a spy for Grindelwald, you will need to cover your soul. You will need to know what he is saying in his rituals. You will need to know what he is doing. You will also need to know how to defend yourself should he find you out.” _

It took Snape a while to figure out what she said. He scowled and then exhaled.  _ “I should not be surprised. You know everything?” _

_ “Yes.” _ She turned back to the window. “ _ Everything.” _

He didn’t say anything. Moving away from the window and down the hall, she spoke up softly, “ _ I wish I didn’t have to push you at all. It isn’t how I want to teach you, but Grindelwald might escape any moment now. We don’t have much time.” _

He understood. Swallowing, he nodded. “ _ I will do my best.” _

“ _ Good.”  _ She offered him a sad smile.  _ “Because that’s all we can do in the end.” _ She turned and led him into the chapel. He followed. “ _ You wanted to talk to me?” _

_ “Yes. I wanted to find out about that boggart.” _

Rubbing her face tiredly, Harry lit a candle and then crossed herself. She spoke a quiet prayer and then confessed her sins silently. 

Snape waited. 

When she was ready, she turned to him and said, “ _ I will always be afraid of something. Always. I have no fear of death, whether it be mine or my friends. I don't care about animals. If I am hurt, then I only need to kill myself and come back in a fully healed body. No, I have nothing to fear except myself. I am…a female, a witch, a Necromancer, and an Apprentice of Death. Who does that remind you of?” _

“ _ Morgana le Fay.” _ Snape sighed in understanding. “ _ A heavy burden and shadow.” _

_ “Exactly. I'm surprised Death hasn't spoken to me about it, but he's been mostly busy trying to keep those rogue dementors away from me. My soul is delicious to them. Most of the dementors fear me and Death, but there are those who are simply too hungry to care.” _

Snape looked alarmed, but she smiled at him. “ _ They could not eat my soul even if they wanted to. They would simply eat my energy, drain my body and then let my soul go. It is not within their power to grasp it. I cannot die.” _ He looked only marginally relieved but took it as a sign to leave her alone. 

Harry listened to his soft-soled shoes pad quietly across the stone floor. She stared at the icon of Mary holding Jesus and tried not to cry. Every year she was ‘crucified’ in a way. Every year, she found new levels of emotional pain to reach. Exhaling, Harry stood up, snuffed out the candle, and then vanished through the veil. Death wasn’t there, but she didn’t care. Looking around her room, she wondered what was in store for her. For Albus. For the Wizarding World.

With a frown, she looked at the map of the world on her wall and then pursed her lips.  _ Gellert Grindelwald’s former plan of action was not just England but America, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Russia, and every other place of note on the map. He won’t keep anything contained. He doesn’t care about the Statute. That will be the biggest challenge for the Ministry. _

She scoffed slightly. “My biggest challenge will be to keep the Ministry from finding out about me. So far, Grindelwald has kept it silent, but eventually, he’ll tell everyone to make things harder for me. I need trust from the people in order to have a reach.” She paced to and fro in her room. 

This was how Death found her. He tilted his head and studied his apprentice and mistress. It was a peculiar relationship they had. She could give him orders as the Master of Death, but she chose not to. He gave her orders as a teacher, but also was hers to command. As the Master Of Death, she was untouchable to him, and anyway, he did not want to claim her soul.

Death grimaced as he thought back on their argument. Had it already been two years ago? He shook his head in sadness. His apprentice was growing up.

“You aren’t like her, you know.” He noticed how she jumped at his voice. She had been so deep in thought that she didn’t notice the drop in temperature at his arrival.

“I know.” She wouldn’t look at him. 

Death scoffed and took her hand. “You aren’t, and I shall show you. As Death, I am also capable of showing you the memories of the world. Come.”

She gasped as he pulled her back in time. Thousands of years went by. It was too much. Harry had to close her eyes. There was too much information. Death held her tightly. “Open your eyes, we’re here.”

She looked at the slightly blurred world. “This isn’t real?” She looked at him in confusion.

He chuckled. “Oh, it’s real. You are looking upon the memory of Earth, Gaea. Not a very pleasant being, but I can access her memories without waking her.” He nodded in front of them. “Look, Harriet.”

She turned and gave a scream. She stepped back and pressed against Death’s firm form. He rested his hands on her shoulders. 

It was a vast field  _ covered _ in corpses. Standing alone was a woman who was beautiful and tall, dressed in armor that had been fitted to her body.

There was another person stepping over the bodies, walking closer to the woman. “Morgana, why?”

With a jolt, Harry realized she was looking at Merlin himself! He looked completely different from the artistic depictions. Instead of a long white beard and wrinkles, he had long black hair, grey eyes, and a tan face with no beard. His hands were covered with scars, but his face was flawless.

“Why what? Why have I killed so many? Why did I start this war? Why did I take a stand against my brother? Why do I want the throne?”

“Why are you not satisfied with what you have?” His grey eyes flashed. Death took them closer. 

Harry kept her eyes away from the mangled and dismembered corpses. Shadow Manipulation had done this. Morgana could have snapped her fingers and killed them without pain, but she chose to butcher them instead! Harry didn’t understand that. Why cause needless pain? Why slaughter so many?!

Morgana seemed to be thinking over Merlin's question. “Because I know I could have more.” She flashed him a smile. “So why can’t I?”

He gave her a concerned and grave look. “There is such a thing as too much power. The gods will cut you down.”

“I forgot, you don’t believe in a single god.” She sneered at him. “I do not fear the gods, Merlin! It is because I have power! They cannot touch me!”

He stepped away from her and stared at the bodies. “I would fight you if I had any hope of beating you.”

She laughed and moved closer to him. “You could always kill Arthur and take the throne with me! We can be rulers! A Dark Queen with her Wizard King, Merlin. Those paltry, pathetic Mortals have nothing on us! My brother thinks he can protect them, well he can’t. If I want them dead, then they shall be! Whatever I desire becomes reality!”

Raising an eyebrow, Merlin chuckled softly. “And that is where we shall part ways, Morgana. You see, I do not want what you want.” He slowly drew out his wand. 

“You said you would not fight me!” She widened her eyes in surprise. “Are you insane?! I could kill you with a snap of my fingers!”

“I know.” He looked at his wand and then out at the bodies surrounding them. There had to be nearly a hundred thousand. “But what right to life have I, if I live while these, weaker than I, stood up to you? I will die with those who deserved to live, because even if it isn’t smart,” he turned and stared at her hard, “it is right.”

She gave him a scornful laugh. “So be it. Die then, Merlin. Die alone and meet Death for yourself!”

“He won’t die alone!” They turned and saw four people come over. Harry gasped as she realized it was Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.

Gryffindor looked  _ exactly _ like her father, and Slytherin looked a spitting image of Tom!

Morgana raised an eyebrow. “More souls for me to send to my former master? Very well. I can’t help it if you’re fools.”

“Please.” Slytherin snorted and examined his wand with boredom. “We aren’t going to fight you.” He looked up and grinned darkly. “We’re going to have you killed.”

Helga pulled out a knife and slashed the air. “You bound Death, and Godric freed him. You imprisoned Death, and Salazar opened the prison door. You tricked Death into teaching you, and Rowena told Death his mistake. You thought you were untouchable, and I’m here to teach you justice!” Helga beamed as she pulled the curtain aside, and Death came through. He tossed the chains aside and looked at Morgana.

“NO!” Morgana stepped back as she realized that he could be seen, he had a scythe, and he was looking at her grimly. “YOU CAN’T! It’s not my time!” She laughed and straightened. “I am your apprentice! I can live on! You said so yourself that I am not human! My soul cannot be-”

“Be silent, Morgana.” He stepped past the wizards and witches. “I taught you everything you know. You abused the power  _ I _ gave you. What I have given, I can certainly take back, Morgana.” He looked at her, sadly. “And I will.” Moving faster than she could dodge, he slashed open her chest with his weapon and removed her soul. 

Morgana’s body fell onto the bodies she had desecrated. Her soul was black and dark and thrashing angrily. Death nodded once to the stunned humans and vanished behind the veil once again.

Suddenly, Harry was back in her body and in her room in Death’s house. He pulled out his scythe and- quickly before she could even shout- cut open her chest and drew out her soul. She gasped for breath but couldn’t inhale.

“Look at your soul, Harriet.”

She stared at the brilliant white soul. There were a few tendrils of grey shadows clinging to it, but she understood that was because of her bitterness and anger at the Dursleys and because of the Dursleys and people who constantly ignored her as her family abused her all her life. A person like her could not be purely innocent. It was impossible. 

“You recall Morgana’s?”

She nodded faintly, still staring at her soul. 

“You could turn into her, yes, anyone could, but you would have a  _ long _ way to go to do that.” He chuckled and slipped her soul back into her body. She sucked in a sharp gasping breath but still got no air. Death smoothed her hair gently from her face and gazed at her. “You are not a Dark Witch, Harriet, and I do not believe that it is in your nature to ever allow yourself to become one. You do not relish death. Your reaction to those corpses was proof enough. Be wary of how you change as you grow older. Watch your step and you will not fall.” He drew away and then blinked in surprise as she rushed up and hugged him. He smiled softly down at her.

“Thank you…” Her shoulders were shaking, but no sound came out of her mouth. He held her against him gently, a smile on his face. “I should go now.” Her voice was muffled.

“Yes. Also, I think it would be best to start teaching your students how to fight. It might save their lives.”

She nodded slowly and then smiled at him wider. “Thank you for showing me this, Death.”

He ruffled her hair and nodded. “Go on now.”

She turned and dashed through the veil.


	8. The Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who wouldn't want to have an hour long Q&A with Death?

Harry knew she wouldn’t see her friends until they came back from Hogsmeade, so she went and paid a visit to her uncle.

He greeted her and then let her come in and started brewing tea. “Sirius just called me on the fireplace.” She sat down and looked at him with interest.

“How is he doing?”

“Well. His therapist thinks he doesn’t need any more meetings. Perhaps once a month to check-in, but nothing more frequent than that. She’s very impressed with his progress. Also, I’ve seen him practicing his language so he can one-up Severus.” Remus rolled his eyes and sighed. “They still haven’t eased their animosity.”

“I’d be surprised if they had.” Harry snorted and then looked at the grindylow in the tank. “Could you teach me how to create the Patronus Charm? Death can’t do it, because he’s not…a wizard, but you could.” She stared at him pleadingly. 

Remus pursed his lips and then nodded. “I should teach you, just in case of more rogues. Alright. We can start first thing-”

The door opened and in walked Severus with a golden goblet that was smoking slightly. Harry sniffed and then wrinkled her nose. 

“Ugh, I hate that potion.”

Remus snorted. “I can’t very well turn into a werewolf on the school grounds.” He took the cup with a soft thank you.

Harry spoke up. “Severus, I need to talk to you about something rather important.” He paused and looked at her. 

“Yes?” His eyes glittered with curiosity.

She stretched and then conjured the essay she had finished grading. She had already given Albus his and Aberforth’s. Albus would give his brother the essay when they next saw each other. Remus had delivered Sirius’ essay, and Blaise had given his mother her essay.

“I thought you’d like to know that you had the highest mark. Even higher than Albus.” She handed him back his essay. “Death read it himself and was actually quite impressed with it. He wants to meet you.”

Severus jerked up and stared at her with incredulity. “What?”

Laughing, Harry stood and poured herself some more tea. “All I have to do is take you through the veil and into the Underworld. You can survive for about fifteen minutes. I can introduce you to Death, just like I did for Ron.”

Both Remus and Severus looked at her in surprise. “Weasley?! You showed  _ Weasley  _ the Underworld?!”

“Hmm, yes, Hermione was quite put out about missing it also.” She snickered and then shrugged.

“When did you do this?” Remus leaned forward and stared at her with interest.

“When the median at the train station wouldn’t work for us last year. We went via the Underworld, and I showed him around. I can do the same for Severus.”

Severus had to sit down. “What did he like most about my essay?”

She smiled at him. “Your dry sense of humor and your macabre attitude about life. You two are actually very similar really.” Severus blinked, not really knowing how to process that.

Remus picked up the goblet and drank it quickly washing it down with unsweetened tea. He gagged slightly. “Nasty stuff.”

Harriet laughed and then looked back at Severus. “Well?”

“I would be honored to see Death and  _ live _ to tell the tale.” Harry grinned and then winked at him. 

“That’s the spirit.” Remus barked a laugh at her unintentional pun. Harry gave him an amused glance and then turned back to Severus. “I’ll take you to him tonight, if you want.” 

He nodded eagerly. “I would like that. Does Halloween Night mean anything in the Underworld?” Remus looked up quickly, curious too.

She laughed again and shook her head. “Oh, boy does it! It’s the only night that all the rogue ghosts, demons, and spirits are allowed to come out into the open without fear of being hunted by Death and his Reapers. It’s truly  _ hell _ on Earth.” She grinned in dark delight. Severus coughed and then nodded. Standing, he quickly left the office. 

Harriet and Remus settled on the day they would start her training, and then she too left to meet up with her friends. 

They told her all about Hogsmeade, which wasn’t news to Harriet since she and Ron had been there for a bit last year before they saw Hagrid. She was still jealous and sad that she couldn’t have gone with her friends. Tom joined them when they went down to the feast. She and Tom decided to break the rules and sit together at the Slytherin table. Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table but came to visit between dinner and dessert.

Her spirits had been raised very high and not even Pansy’s snide remarks could bring her down. Tom pulled her into an alcove a little ways away after the feast and gave her a wrapped package. 

“I wanted to give you a gift because I still owe you one.” She laughed and took it from him.

“May I open it now?”

He nodded quickly and then watched as she started gingerly removing the paper. He understood that desire to keep everything intact. To fully enjoy the idea of being given something. 

Harry pulled the last of the paper away and then stared at it in silence. “Tom, I…” It was a beautiful jade hairpin. It was in the shape of a snake and the tail was the pin with the handle as the head. The snake’s mouth was opened and there were tiny fangs inside. She looked up at him and smiled widely. “I love it!” She pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you!”

He wrapped his arms around her and didn’t want to let go. Closing his eyes, Tom memorized how her body felt against his own. It was marvelously perfect. It just felt…right.

Then it was over when she pulled away and started wrapping her hair up and twisting it just so in order to get the pin to stay. When she was done, she turned and smiled at him. “How does it look?!”

“Beautiful.” He stared at her intently. Harry looked away quickly and blushed. “I wanted to give you something from my newly inherited fortune.” He grinned at her as she stared at him in shock. 

“What?! Oh Tom, the Riddle Manor! You got it?” She grabbed his forearms in delight.

Nodding smugly, he grinned. “All of it. The Ministry made it so that I inherited it all. I have a trust fund at the moment, like you. My father’s lawyers know about me living with a foster family, so that’s good. I have a caretaker taking care of the place in my absence.” Tom brushed some of her hair behind her ear. “It’s an awfully big house. I’m planning on moving into it with my future wife after I graduate.” His dark eyes studied her.

Looking away, Harry swallowed. “Oh, well, that certainly does make sense. Erm, I think I had better catch up to my group.”

“I’ll walk you there.” He smiled at her and then took her arm like a gallant gentleman.

However, when they arrived, the hallways and stairs were crowded. Harry frowned. “Why is everyone outside?” Tom couldn’t answer.

No one knew what was going on. The Fat Lady wasn’t there. Tom frowned and looked at Percy for an explanation, but then Dumbledore and Snape and McGonagall came up and it was all explained.

Nasty temper Morfin Gaunt has indeed.

And just like that, Harry’s good mood vanished. Tom’s arm around her shoulders tightened to the point of it being painful. His entire body was taught like a violin string.

Dumbledore turned and gave her a grave look even as he ordered that the Fat Lady be found and the students in Gryffindor be placed in the Great Hall. Tom was pried away from her by Dumbledore himself as he escorted Harriet to the Great Hall.

She twisted around and shouted to Tom, “See you in the morning, Tom! Sleep well!”

The look on his face told him that he wouldn’t sleep a wink. She sighed and turned back forward.

Once everyone had their purple sleeping bags- Albus could have chosen a nicer color honestly- Harriet looked at Ron and Hermione as they began to discuss what was going on.

Harry hummed in thought and then drifted off to sleep, only to wake with a sharp inhale every time the teachers slipped in to check on them, which was on every hour.

She looked at her two friends after they overheard Albus and Severus discuss something about someone helping Morfin Gaunt into the castle. Albus dismissed it but Severus wasn’t so certain. 

She wondered if they were talking about Tom.  _ But surely Severus can’t suspect Tom? Morfin tried to kill him too! I wonder how the man got in! Possibly via a way Grindelwald provided. Perhaps Albus will confront the man tomorrow, but to do so and find out Grindelwald wasn’t involved would be disastrous.  _

It was with great effort that she and her friends fell asleep.

As the days passed, the weather worsened, and then a great blow came to the Slytherin team came. On the day of the match, Draco slipped on the wet moving stairs and broke three to five bones in each arm. He had passed out from the pain. A bone had been sticking through his skin.

Harry had witnessed it. She raised her voice and looked at Pansy. “Now  _ that _ is what I’d call an injury.” The girl flushed in rage as the Gryffindors laughed. 

Tom and Blaise escorted an unconscious Draco to the medical wing. Flint was relieved in a way since that meant they wouldn’t have to play in the horrible weather. Harry bit her lip and looked out the window. She inhaled slowly and then exhaled quickly. She would do this. She had to. However, first she had to go to her classes.

The moment she walked in, she realized that Remus was shifting. Snape was standing in front of her DADA class. She gave him a warning look that he completely ignored and started lambasting her uncle’s teaching ability and taking points from her house left and right.

After the class, she stood and left the room without saying a word or looking in his direction. She could feel his eyes on her.

~after the match~

Harry refused to see anyone. She didn’t want to talk to them. Ron and Hermione were escorted out with confused and hurt looks. Tom looked angry, but also confused and hurt. The team was simply confused. 

She stared at the broom fragments on her bed. Scanning the room, she knew she was alone. _ “Death, I summon thee.” _ He appeared a split second later, grim-faced. Her voice curled harshly around the Language of the Dead.

_ “Yes, Master of Death?” _ He would have simply called her Harriet, except she used the old call of the Master of Death. Meaning this wasn't a social visit. He also refrained from using English.

She stared up at him with dead eyes.  _ “If another Dementor attacks me, then I will see them to the pits of hell myself, damn the witnesses.” _

His eyes widened but he nodded.  _ “Of course, Mistress.” _

She exhaled and then lowered her voice. “What happens to him now?”

“Yulshk will be punished for attacking you without provocation.”

“Good.” The door opened, and Harry looked over at the person. Madam Pomfrey. She smiled at the woman with a fake grin. “Hello.”

“I’m going to examine you, and then you will get some sleep, Miss Potter.”

She nodded with her smile still in place. “Of course, Madam Pomfrey.”

As soon as the woman was gone, so was Harry. She fled the entire school and rushed to Sirius’ home in the country. Sirius had heard all about it from Remus. He brought her a hot chocolate and let her cry on his shoulder. 

Sirius was, perhaps, the only other person who understood what a shit life Harriet had.

Cruel relatives.

Cruel students.

Cruel Dark Lords.

Cruel Life.

_ And _ bloody Dementors.

He definitely understood the deep agony of a dementor attack.

When she stopped crying, she fell asleep on top of him. Sirius sighed and put her back in her bedroom. He would let Albus know where she was.

~meanwhile~

Tom stared at Pansy. Theo, Draco, Blaise, and Daphne were standing behind him, wands in hand.

“You thought that you could sneak into the medical wing? Were you really that desperate to beat Harriet Potter?” He sneered at her. “You couldn’t hope to even catch up to her when she is awake, so you think it’s the perfect time to attack her when she’s asleep, exhausted, and injured.”

“She did say that I should act more Slytherin.” The girl sneered at him.

Tom felt rage curl in his gut. “There is a thin line between cunning and cowardice. Crucio!”

Those behind him didn’t even flinch this time. They were used to Tom doing this now.  None of the older students in the common room could fight back, so they cringed away instead. There was a reason Tom was considered Lord of the Slytherin House. A very good reason. And that reason was a simple but painfully effective spell.

The girl’s screams were silenced by a well-placed silencing spell.

Tom smiled as he watched her twist and writhe. When he cut the spell, he crouched beside her and whispered into her ear, “I keep telling you to stop targeting Harriet Potter, but you never seem to believe me or obey me. It is said that a wild horse must be broken first before being trained.” He chuckled. “Breaking you will be fun, Miss Parkinson.” He stood up and walked away, not bothering to release her from the silencing spell.

~meanwhile~

Severus looked at Albus who was staring at his desktop with a dark glare. The Potions Master had never seen Albus so enraged before. He was still angry at that attack, at how a starving dementor had nearly destroyed everything. 

If the people ever found out that Harry could not die, then all their trust in both himself and Harriet would be destroyed. Plus, Grindelwald would no longer waste time killing her and would instead shift his efforts to capturing and brainwashing her. Like he wanted to do to Albus. 

“Harriet is with Sirius at the moment. She traveled to him via the shadows.”

Severus hissed out a breath. “I wish we could learn that talent soon.”

“The next thing after we master Energy Manipulate is Shadow Manipulation.” Albus gazed at the shadow his hand made from the candle. He wondered how he could possibly control it.

“I can’t wait.”

“Congratulations on the essay, by the way. I heard that you got first on the grading list.” Albus looked up at him with glittering blue eyes. “Enjoy it, because it won’t happen again.”

Severus frowned in surprise. Albus wasn’t usually so antagonistic. “Why so competitive, Headmaster?”

“Harriet told me that the house who gets the highest cumulative grade in this term will be…going on a Soul Collection trip and witnessing the Judging of a Soul. Also, that house will gain a full tour of the Underworld and a Q&A with Death himself. I heard about your personal invitation from Death. It is…quaint.” Albus stood up and stretched lazily. “But a fifteen minute conversation is nothing compared to the hour long tour and hour long discussion with the being. Gryffindor shall win this tour. Myself, Aberforth, and Sirius won’t stand for anything less.”

(It had occurred to Harry that there were three Slytherins and three Gryffindors in her class of six. She couldn’t help but pit them against each other.) 

Severus was only just keeping his jaw from sliding open. “And just when did she tell you this?!” His dark eyes flashed. Albus chuckled and popped a candy in his mouth.

“Yesterday.” His eyes twinkled with dark delight.

Severus gritted his teeth and then bid the headmaster a day. He quickly called Zabini into his office and told the boy everything. Zabini started cursing.

“I didn’t do well on that bloody essay!” Blaise started pacing. “Mum did, but she was below Black.”

“I got the highest grade. You have the highest average grade though.”

Shaking his head, Blaise exhaled. “Second to Dumbledore. _Always_ second to _Dumbledore_.” He felt like kicking something. Severus exhaled angrily and then nodded.

“Leave that to me. Just study even more. I will not miss a Soul Collection trip.” 

“Or an hour long Q and A with Death!” Blaise nodded to Severus and then quickly left to contact his mother about this.

~time goes by~

The weekend passed with Harriet accepting visits and spending most of her time in the Underworld or with Sirius. Or sneaking into Dumbledore’s office to play chess. 

When Madam Pomfrey finally allowed the girl to leave, Harry made a firecall to Sirius to see how he was going with Pansy’s father. It was going nicely. This put her in a much better mood. Also, the transaction was finished, and she owned Buckbeak. 

She had quite a few visitors, but Tom didn’t come back after she sent everyone away the first time. Staring at the box that contained the remains of her Nimbus, Harry couldn’t help but feel sad. Even if she now owned two Firebolts, her Nimbus had been her first broom. It had been her way of freedom. Her first taste of flying. She was being silly and overly sentimental, but she still couldn’t let go of the fragments. None of her friends made any comment. 

When Harry first made it to the Great Hall, she noticed Pansy staying very quiet, but there was a glint of rage in her eyes when she saw Harry. 

Scanning her soul, Harry felt ill at what Tom had done to her.  _ It was because of me, but also because he simply doesn’t understand why it’s wrong. Damn, if Tom continues doing this, then we’ll be facing off on opposite ends of the battle eventually.  _ She discarded all thoughts of offering to teach him Necromancy. If he continued this blasé attitude about causing people agony, then he would be just one step away from Morgana. The memories of those corpses made her feel even iller.

“Harry?! What’s the matter? You’re so pale!” Hermione was suddenly right next to her. 

“Nothing. I just saw…” Harry looked at her friend and frowned. “You’re paler than I am, Hermione. Why?” Hermione jumped and then slid away, not letting Harry a chance to look at her face any longer. Voice hardening, Harry spoke quietly, “I could read your soul, you know. I could take the choice away from you. I’ve refrained from invading your space because your my friend, but Hermione, if you’re killing yourself over something, then I will be duty-bound to stop you.”

“I’m not!” She stared at Harry with wide eyes. “Honest Harry, I’m not! I just can’t tell you. I promised!”

Leaning back, Harry narrowed her eyes. “And who made you promise?”

“Professor McGonagall.” It came out as a whisper. Harry stopped herself from scanning Hermione’s soul. It wouldn’t be right. It was a breach of privacy, and Harry honored her friends. 

After breakfast, Harry went into Potions and witnessed Ron cost their house fifty points by throwing a crocodile heart in Pansy’s face. Harriet smirked at Snape darkly, easily conveying how she would take this out on him. He refused to allow himself to feel nervous. But he knew that if he thought she had been pushing him lately, then that would be nothing compared to how much pressure she would put on him after this.

When DADA came, Harry watched quietly as everyone complained to Remus. Only Hermione was disappointed in his canceling the essay. Harry sighed as she shouldered her bag. Her friend was a freak.

“Harry, a moment please.” She stayed behind, nodding to Tom and her other two friends. They moved out, but Tom was hesitant. He had been floating around her for a bit, not going near and not going any further away. She knew he was in love with her, but she had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with that. It made things awkward between them.

“Yes, Professor?”

“Do you have any idea why Dementors, whom you hold no fear of, affect you like this?” He stared at her sadly. She looked at her shoes and tried to think.

“I hear my mother screaming and Grindelwald laughing. I hear her begging. My…mother never told me much about that night, neither did Dad. They don’t want to talk about the night they died, preferring to talk about my life and stuff.” She bit her lip and wondered why she still hadn’t told her parents about the Dursleys. It was just another thing that had slipped to the back of her mind in light of the chaos that was her life. 

“I'll teach you, Harry. Come hols, I’ll teach you.” He smiled at her and gave her a hug. She felt more at peace after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five days till Christmas! For those who celebrate the holiday: Merry Christmas!  
> Thank you for reading! ; D  
> Ink...


	9. A Map to the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins make a discovery, and give Harry something. Ron and Hermione have an unpleasant realization, and Tom and Harry go to a cemetery.

~days later~

Harry had enough. She missed Tom. Marching up to him and his group, she crossed her arms and stared at him. He looked up from his homework resting on the library table.

“Yes?”

Draco, Blaise, Theo, and Daphne edged away to give them privacy.

“Stop it.” She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her hips. 

“Stop… _ what?” _ He looked completely unimpressed. Harry leaned against the table and moved in close.

“Stop avoiding me, Tom Marvolo Riddle! That’s what! You owe me a trip to my family’s home, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“But my uncle-”

“Will still be trying to break in here. He’s not the sharpest fang in the mouth, you know.” She snorted when Tom shrugged at that.

“True. This weekend?”

“Yep.” She grinned at him. He smirked. 

“How?”

Faltering, Harry realized she couldn’t simply shadow travel with Tom. He’d have a conniption. The Dementors wouldn’t allow her to leave since the attacks from their own kind have made them overly protective of the Master’s Apprentice. None of her adults would look kindly upon her running around free. Even if she could hold her own, she would be severely cramped with Tom around.

“Er…”

Chuckling, Tom turned back to his homework. “This Christmas, we’ll find a way.”

She huffed and then sat on the table beside him. “Fine, but my point still stands! Stop staying away from me. It’s like I’ve got the plague or something.”

He made a face but nodded. “Fine. I’ll give you more attention.” The glint in his eyes informed her that he was teasing her. She huffed and turned her back on him. This caused him to laugh. 

After that, the others came back and they continued doing homework. Harry decided to put a bee in Tom’s bonnet, because it was fun. “So how long did you have to torture Pansy before she capitulated and left me alone?” She didn’t look up, but she knew from the sudden cessation of quill scratching that the entire table was stunned. 

Tom chuckled. “I honestly don’t know why I’m surprised. Your grapevine is better than mine.” She looked up at smiled at him sweetly.

“Did she scream a lot?”

Shaking his head, he gave her a look. “You can’t honestly be amused with the thought of me torturing people, can you?”

Harry looked at him with old eyes. “Would tears make any difference to you?” He faltered and then stared at her intently.

“Yours might.”

“Tears of pleading or of pain?” Her own green eyes lit up with glee that didn’t match the conversation topic.

Draco snorted and spoke up for the first time since she arrived. “Do you feel anything, Harry?”

Giggling softly, Harry gave him a sly smile. “I don’t know. What’s there to feel?”

“Anger, mortification, embarrassment, rage, humor, jealousy, etc.” He looked at her hard. “Do you feel any of that?”

“Humor most assuredly. And I feel the other emotions too.” She tilted her head at him. “But not much.”

_ “ _ What a liar you are, Harriet.” Harry glanced over quickly to see Death standing there. He was smirking. 

Thinking her answer, Harry replied,  _ ‘Well, how else I am supposed to respond?’ _

“Why not the truth?” She stifled her snort.

“I suppose I just block all emotions out of habit. Feelings are faulty. It only brings confusion and illogic.” She snapped her quill in half with only one hand and then wandlessly repaired it. An owl flew into the library through the open window. Pince gave her a look while Harry untied the letter from the owl’s leg and read it.

When she was done, she laughed aloud. “He’s done it! Excellent!” She looked at Tom with no little amounts of amusement. “You’ll be happy to hear, Tom, that Pansy is soon going to experience my revenge.” The Slytherins looked up and leaned forward. She smiled at them and then looked at Tom. “My godfather has successfully bought all the Parkinson’s shares. I, Harriet Potter, now own South Park Jewelers. I’ve bankrupted her father.” Her eyes glittered. “Much longer lasting than any silly Cruciatus Curse.”

Tom was stunned. The Slytherins around them were also stunned. Harry shrugged at their expressions. “Afterall, I’m not going to be a student forever, and Pansy needs to understand that it isn’t smart making enemies of powerful people.” Her eyes grew darker. “This school isn’t the whole world and whatever happens here won’t be remembered in the next five or so years. But what happens in the big world of adults?” She laughed softly. “That remains. Actions always have consequences.” With a light kiss blown at Tom, Harry danced off to her friends who had just entered the library.

Blaise swallowed and looked at Theo. “Bloody hell. A child isn't supposed to have that much power!”

“She made an ancient house of the Twenty-Eight go bankrupt because their daughter bullied her.” Draco snorted and shook his head. “Remind me never to get on  _ her _ bad side.” Daphne looked at Tom.

“She would make a perfect Slytherin Queen, Tom. Want me to befriend her? I’m good at persuading people to my side of thinking.”

“No. You would meet your match in Harry, I assure you. She’s not weak-minded.” Tom rubbed his chin. “I think I’m pushing too soon for this. She’s not fully emotionally grown. Love is only something that she reads in a book. She doesn’t know what it feels like. I’ll just have to be there when she first starts understanding it.”

Clearing his throat, Theo looked at his leader. “And if she falls for another guy?”

Tom gave him a look and then shrugged. “Then I’ll just have to kill him.”

Something told them all that Tom wasn’t joking. Daphne turned back to her homework, sharing a look with Draco. 

~weeks pass~

Harry exhaled as she heard the excited whisperings about the next Hogsmeade trip. She would be staying at Hogwarts because it  _ was _ safer for her than anything else, and she had to teach the teachers. Blaise was staying too. 

“Psst! Harry!”

Turning, Harry saw the Weasley twins, Fred and George. Raising an eyebrow, she moved over to where they were hiding.

As they began explaining themselves, Harry started to get a small inkling of what they were planning. When they pulled out the blank piece of parchment, she squealed and pulled them both into tight hugs.

“You found! You’ve had it all this time?! Oh, Sirius is going to be thrilled!”

They looked at her blankly for a moment and then stared at her in growing understanding. 

“Are you telling me-”

“-that your father and godfather and uncle-”

“-are three of the Marauders?!”

She grinned at them. “I’m Prongslet. Remus is Moony, and Sirius is Padfoot.”

There was much rejoicing in the city that day.

Harry was now being lauded as Marauder Royalty, a Princess of Pranks, a Goddess of Goofs, an Heiress of Anarchy. They were calling themselves the Honor Guard, with George as her High Priest and Fred as her Court Jester.

After she laughed and shoved them off towards the village, she gave them each a kiss and then told them that she would tell her uncle and godfather about the twins being their biggest fans.

Watching them dash away towards the village, Harry hummed in thought. She wouldn’t have to tell Tom about this, only about the passageways she would glean from it. Of course, she would need to tell Remus and Sirius, but Albus and Snape would only take it away from her. Actually, Remus might do that too.

With a grin, she slipped on her cloak and used the passage that took her to  _ Honeydukes. _ She quickly tracked down Ron and Hermione, sighting Tom some ways off in another shop with his posse.

She appeared beside them and cackled at their surprise. However, when Hermione stated that Harriet would  _ obviously _ give it back, Harry gave her a scathing look. “It was made by my father, like  _ hell _ I’m giving up one of my family heirlooms.” Her friend’s face went pale.

“Harry, I’m sorry, I-”

“Was trying to tell Harry what to do  _ yet again _ , it’s fine. We understand.” Ron rolled his eyes and then turned eagerly back to the map.

They explored the village and then ended up in  _ The Three Broomsticks. _ Harry was enjoying her butterbeer when suddenly a line of professors marched in. Quick as a flash, she covered herself in shadows and became invisible. 

When the teachers began to talk about Morfin Gaunt, Harry became nervous.

“The worst he did isn’t widely known.” Fudge sighed tiredly. “He was put away on grounds for terrorizing Muggles, but he tried to kill his own nephew, Tom Riddle, and killed Riddle’s grandparents and father. He also tried to murder Harriet Potter for the first time, as it was leaked later after he escaped. There is no motive for him to murder her, but there you are, the man is mad. There is the rumor that Morfin also murdered Tom Riddle’s mother, Merope Riddle, but we have no proof. Morfin’s father, Marvolo, was put in Azkaban also for hurting Muggles and threatening the Statute and died there shortly after.”

Hermione gave Harry’s direction a horrified look. Ron looked pale. They had known about Tom’s relation but hadn’t heard the particulars of what exactly went down. Leaning slightly closer, Ron inhaled slowly as they continued to talk about Morfin.

“It is true he’s mad? I heard he was cackling like a lunatic when arrested.” Rosmerta looked at Fudge with round eyes.

Nodding, Fudge sighed. “It’s strange how genetics works. You’d never imagine a madman like that being related to Tom Riddle. That boy will be a prefect one of these days, mark my words. Hopefully, none of this will come out and hurt his chances.”

Flitwick nodded quickly. “Head Boy as well. He is the top in the class, well, most of them. Hermione Granger gives him a run for his money oftentimes. Those two…it’s strange how a perfectly normal lad like Riddle could be the nephew of a murderous monster!”

“Aye.” Hagrid snorted. “He’s a badun, that Morfin is.”

After the teachers left, Harry revealed herself and stared at her friends. “You are not to tell anyone about this, do you understand? Most of the students don’t know that Tom Riddle is Morfin’s nephew. It would ruin his chances of any career in politics.”

Hermione frowned. “But Harry, why didn’t you tell us?! He tried to kill Tom! You didn’t tell us that he tried to kill you! The report only said that he killed Tom’s relatives! Why did you keep it a secret?!”

Giving her a level stare, Harry spoke evenly. “Because I promised to keep it a secret.”

“Promise or not, I’m your friend-”

“Shall I tell Professor McGonagall that?”

Hermione clammed up. Ron frowned at them in confusion. Harry stood up and gave her two friends a hard look. “Don’t tell anyone anything.  _ Anything _ .” She turned and threw on her cloak and returned to the school.

It was the next morning when the first of the holidays came around, that Harry heard the news from Hagrid. She chuckled softly and read the half-giant’s letter aloud. 

“Dear Mr. Hagrid,

“Further to our inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident. However, we must register our concern about the hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Marcus Parkinson, and this matter will, therefore, be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee’s offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

“Yours in fellowship, the governors of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.”

Harry laughed and handed the letter back to Hagrid. “Write them back and say that you no longer own the hippogriff in question, Hagrid. Don’t worry, the Parkinsons will drop the case soon enough.” She studied Hagrid and then spoke, “You should continue classes as you did before. Show us unicorns, white stags, kelpies, selkies, griffins, phoenixes, sirens, pegasi, and centaurs!” She grinned at him. “Show us why you love these creatures, Hagrid. You aren’t the only person who cares about magical creatures, the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

She turned and walked away from the half-giant's cabin. Hagrid watched her until she was out of sight, then he turned back into his hut and wrote the letter. Hermione and Ron stayed a little to comfort the giant and then hurried after Harry.

As the days passed and it became Christmas, Harry grinned at the broom that Sirius had had delivered to her. Ron gaped as she handed her second Firebolt off to him. “Enjoy!”

“Blimey, the twins will have kittens when I show them this!” He was beaming and dancing around with it weaving in and around the furniture of the Gryffindor Common Room.

Harry smiled sadly and then looked at the gift that Remus gave her. It was a beautiful set of knives, enchanted to always return to her sheaths after being thrown. Sirius gave her two wand holsters to be strapped anywhere on her body. Harry decided to quickly change into a skirt. She strapped the holsters to her thighs, slipping her wands into them. Ron flushed bright red for some reason when she came back downstairs, but Harry was already bending over to pick up the next present.

Hermione joined them in the common room. They exchanged sweets and showed each other their presents. Ron was right. The twins had a conniption when they realized their princess gave their little brother a firebolt. Harry laughed and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, two Firebolts appeared. 

“Sirius thought it would be nice for his two most ardent fans to also have a reward for their protection over me.” She winked and then turned back her pile of presents. 

“Merlin’s tits!” Fred grinned at his brother. “Wood is going to have a fangasm over this.” George snickered as he examined the broom in his hands.

“She’s a real beauty!”

Meanwhile, Harry was opening her next present. Mrs. Zabini had given her a beautiful enchanted, diamond necklace that allowed her not to be seen by spirits or ghosts while wearing it. Harry made a note to thank her for it, knowing it was also a means as a bribe for the highest grade. 

Slytherins, after all, were very cunning.

Speaking of which, Harry smirked as she saw a note from Tom.

_ ‘Come to the library. TMR’ _

Snorting, Harry sent the rest of her presents away to her room and then hugged her friends. “Gotta go and see Tom. See ya later!”

Ron barely looked from his new broom. Hermione grinned at her and then gave her a tight hug. “Be safe.”

“I will, I will.” With quick, sure steps, Harry made it to the library in good time. “Tom?” He looked up and grinned at her.

“Fred informed me that you have a way of getting out of the castle. Said that he gave you a family heirloom.” He lifted an eyebrow. Harry chuckled and showed it to Tom.

He studied it intently and then sighed in disappointment. “My uncle isn’t on this. How the devil does he get in?!”

She nudged his shoulder gently. “We’ll find out, don’t worry.” Grabbing his hand, Harry grinned and pulled away from the library. “We need to go to  _ Honeydukes _ and then apparate out.” He let her drag him, smiling softly.

When they arrived at Godric’s Hollow, Harry looked around, surprised that this was the first time she saw her birthplace. “Mum gave birth to me in that house.” She pointed to ruins, kept that way as a memorial. “I was born here.” She stared at the house and then shivered. “And they died here.”

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Tom pulled her closer. “You have memories from friends.” 

She nodded slowly and then exhaled slowly. “Right. But I have no family. I am the last Potter. I’ll have to keep my name if I marry. I need a son who will keep that name too.”

Tom frowned and then looked around. He spied a cemetery. “Would they be there?”

“Yes.” She grabbed his hand and quickly hurried over, across the street. They found her parents’ grave quickly enough. Harry conjured flowers and set them at the foot of the statue. “I wish you were alive…”

Tom gave her a moment of silence before urging her away. She stood grudgingly and then paused when she saw something.

It was Death. He was kneeling at the foot of a very old grave. She faltered as she realized that he could be seen.  _ He’s going to collect someone _ . “Than!” She grabbed Tom’s hand and yanked him over.

“Than, this is Tom Riddle. Tom, this is my mentor.”

Tom nodded to him, taking in the man’s well-cut suit and robes. Sticking out his hand, Tom waited until Death took it and shook his hand.

“It’s an honor to meet you finally, sir.”

Death raised an eyebrow before smiling. “The honor is mine.” Tom seemed to stifled a shudder as they let go.

Waving to the side, Death smiled at Harry. “This is the resting place of Ignotus Peverell, Harriet. I remember telling you about him.”

Harry quickly moved forward. She stared at the grave of the man who paved the way for her future. “Tom, he’s the one who first owned the Invisibility Cloak. His brothers had the ring and the wand.”

Tom stepped closer. “The ring…the stone. Grindelwald stole it from me and now the Ministry has it.” He snarled quietly at that.

Harry was quick to soothe him. “Yes, but we can easily take it back, Tom. Don’t worry. And as for the wand, I’m certain that Dumbledore would be willing to let me become a Master of Death soon enough, if it means the preservation of the Wizarding World.” He nodded and then looked at Death.

“Thank you for showing us, sir.”

“I was glad to.” He gave Harry a smile. “I’m sorry, but I must leave. I have an appointment with Madam Jonkins. And I can’t be late.” His smile was a touch sardonic. Harry mirrored his smile easily.

“Of course, Than. Take care.”

“You as well.” He tipped an imaginary hat and then quickly walked away. Tom shivered. 

“Something about that man…I don’t like it.”

“He’s always like that. Don’t worry. Than is harmless, as long as you don’t try and cheat him on anything.” She hid a grin and quickly changed the subject. “We should get back.”

He nodded and took her hand, apparating them to the tunnel, which they took back to the school. They parted at the library.

“Merry Christmas, Harriet.” Tom gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before turning quickly and leaving for his house.

Harry stared at his retreating back.

She shook herself out of it and then hurried back to her other friends.


	10. Foolish Immortal Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morfin acts. Tom reacts.  
> Severus simply watches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let all of you guys know. Harry does something pretty bad in this chapter, and Tom will confront her about it later. Her reasoning will be explained in full in the fifth book by Severus Snape.   
> Thanks!  
> Ink...

~some time later~

Harry watched in amusement as Wood stared at his Chasers and Seeker. All three had Firebolts. All three.

The boy was floating on air for the rest of the week.

~days later~

Harry looked at the dementors who had volunteered for this. They wouldn’t be hurt at all, just made extremely uncomfortable. She knew she could fight the rogues with her shadows, but that wouldn’t work in public. As had been proved twice already.

She had to learn it the normal way. 

She was nervous but at least Death was watching things carefully. Swallowing, she nodded to Remus, and he signaled the Dementors to swoop in. 

~months later~

Harry sipped her butterbeer. “Blaise and his mother are trying to bribe me to give them higher grades.” She smirked. “And, I’m pretty sure, Severus is purposefully giving Albus more paperwork and filing more complaints to tie him up so he can’t study.”

Remus snorted. “The word competitive doesn’t fully fit those snakes.”

“Do you want to learn?” She glanced at him over her mug.

He paused in his drinking and thought about it before shaking his head. “I don’t think it would be wise. Werewolves are…attracted to Dark Magic. It’s a visceral reaction. I wouldn’t have any self-control.”

She turned and looked at him in concern. “Is that why you always vanish when we have lessons?” He nodded, not looking at her. Harry knew he was uncomfortable about his condition. She reached over and gave him a tight side hug. “I love you, Uncle Remus.”

He faltered and then stared at her in surprise before smiling. “Love you too, Harry.”

They continued drinking their butterbeers.

~days later~

The flush of properly creating a Patronus, even if it was against Pansy and Flint and a couple of the Slytherin older team members, still had Harry grinning even after the party.

However, she worried about Hermione. Her friend wasn’t telling her anything. Looking up, Harry snorted at Death as he appeared. “Oh, who am I kidding? Friend my  _ arse _ ! I tell her all my secrets, risk my life against the Ministry, and she can’t share a ruddy secret that’s killing her slowly? All because a teacher made her promise not to tell. Hermione can be a right pain in my arse.” Harry snarled quietly as she turned to storm out of her room. She faltered as she stared at Hermione. Narrowing her eyes, she glowered at Death and hissed at him in the Language of Death.  _ “Why didn’t you tell me she was there?!” _

“Because you need to talk to her.”

“Harry…” Both girls stared at each other. Hermione was close to tears. “Harry, I  _ can’t _ -”

“You wanna know why I became your friend?” Harry turned and started pacing the small room. “I wanted to have someone who was smart for an ally. I didn’t take into consideration how immature, competitive, petty, and selfish you could be as well. How narrow-minded and naive you are! Hermione, not all promises are to be kept! Sometimes, you can TRUST A FRIEND WHO HAS TRUSTED YOU WITH  _ EVERYTHING _ !” She vanished through shadows and appeared in Albus’ office. The man looked up in surprise.

“Harriet?”

Exhaling angrily, she flexed her hands, and a controlled wreath of pure white magical energy appeared around her and exploded outward. It dissipated dramatically against the walls and climbed upward towards the ceiling even while vanishing. It was her own energy, excess that made her jittery. She exhaled again.

Without speaking, she shoved her way through into his soul. He grunted and blocked her through sheer stubbornness. They continued to mentally spar and fight over Albus’ soul for the rest of the evening. She finally let him rest after he successfully kept her out for six hours. She hadn’t been holding back much at all.

Panting, Albus drank water, handing her a glass of water as well. Harry silently accepted it.  _ “You will find Gellert to be a harder adversary. He has an emotional connection that will distract you.”  _ Her voice curled around the hissing of the Language of Death.

_ “I will not fail.” _

_ “You will, if you still love him.” _ Harry gave him a look and then finished her water. “Excuse me, Headmaster. I need to go bully Severus now.” She smiled darkly. “I owe him that much.” Albus didn’t respond, too busy thinking about her comment. 

Harry left the man to his thoughts and appeared in Severus’ bedroom. She pulled out her rosewood wand and fired a spell at him. Quick as a flash, he blocked it and then jumped from the bed. She launched herself mentally at him, trying to break into his soul, distracting him with spells and shadows lashing against his magical shields.

Severus struggled, sweated, and grunted in pain as most of her shadows made marks on his body. He held her off, though, rather well. Smiling, Harry nodded to him.  _ “Good work.”  _ She vanished again.

Severus slumped against the corner of the room and was wary. She might re-appear. When she didn’t, he went back to bed and slept lightly for the rest of the night.

When Harry returned to her own room, she did so just in time to see a man standing over her bed, looming over her friend. Distantly Harry realized that Hermione must have fallen asleep on Harry’s bed, crying. Harry felt horror course through her. Both she and Hermione screamed at the same time.

The man, Morfin, turned and lunged at her, throwing a blinding lumos maxima in her direction. She threw up a protego maxima. When she could see again, he was gone.

“Lavender! GET PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL! Harry, are you alright?!”

“Are  _ you _ alright?! He was this close to you!” Harry lunged for the door and found that the Common Room was empty. “How did he blasted get in?!”

Parvati and Lavender came swiftly back with McGonagall. Hermione shakily told the lady what happened. Harry snarled and then frowned when her foot crunched against something. Looking down, she picked up a small piece of paper. “A list of the passwords…”

McGonagall took it from her and then stared at the assembled Gryffindor students. “Who…who was the abominable idiot who wrote down all the passwords and then promptly lost the list?!” Neville was white as a sheet as he slowly stepped forward, raising his hand. 

Professor McGonagall was not happy.

Neither was Tom when he found out the next morning. He shot the boy with a full-body bind every time Neville was in his sight, even if Neville was going down the stairs. Tom never got caught.

Later that day, Harry met with Hagrid and Ron. She smiled when a disbelieving but overjoyed Hagrid informed them that the Parkinsons had dropped the lawsuit. Harry beamed at him and then pranced back into the castle. She was walking towards the chapel but froze when she saw a boy coming out of it. 

She knew him. He was one of the neutral Slytherins. New actually, transferred from Durmstrang. The name suddenly came to her. He was Antonin Dolohov. 

He nodded to her and then left. Looking back at him as she walked forward, Harry warily went into her chapel and prayed, did her confessions and lit a candle. Even through homework, Quidditch practice, and teaching her students, Harry always had time for confessions and prayer. And each time she saw the new student, he was on his way out, and she was on her way in.

Until one day, he decided to stay longer. They stayed silent, though, as they shared the chapel. Unlike Harry who prayed on the pew seat with her head bent, he knelt on the cushions and prayed there. He also crossed himself as the Easter Orthodox did. Harry didn’t comment on it though. She also noticed that he lit three candles while she lit one only. Hers was for Sirius. She could only assume that he had three family members.

It was a month before he spoke to her. “Good luck on next week’s match, Miss Potter.” His accent was faint. A mix of Russian and German. Harry smiled at him. 

“Thank you.”

Later that day, Harry had a blast in Divs. Until Hermione stormed out. Tutting, Harry shook her head. “I guess she can’t take how much all of you are looking forward to my demise.” She looked at Lavender and Parvati. “You  _ are _ looking forward to it, I know. I hear you whispering and practicing your crying in the bathroom.” The entire class went kinda still after that rather awkward comment. Harry smiled at them and then stood up too. She spoke sweetly, “Fuck you all.” With that, she gave Ron a cheeky wave and left the class.

As the Quidditch match came closer, Harry realized that her house was perhaps taking Wood’s suggestion of keeping her safe from Flint a little too closely. 

She was never alone anymore to talk to Death. Any moment she had alone, Fred or George pounced on her and wrapped a lanky arm around her shoulders with a ‘Harry, Harry, Harry!’ and a wide grin.

Death was getting mighty disgruntled about it too. She could hear his thoughts about ‘stupid mortals not knowing boundaries’ and how he’ll ‘reap the next fool who manhandles her like that’.

~the match~

Harry had never played such a dirty game in her entire career. One of the very few moments that interested her was when Draco grabbed her broom and yanked her back to avoid getting her smacked in the head by the bludger. Hooch thought it was a trick, since Harry had nearly grabbed the snitch, but Harry knew he had probably saved her life.

Even though Harry had to repay him by snatching the snitch.

Pity that.

~exams~

Harry smirked at a flushed Hermione as they left the DADA exam. Ron was still snickering at Hermione's fear. Suddenly, Harry looked up and frowned darkly. “The Minister.”

Her friends quieted and studied the man. 

“Ah! Harriet Potter! Just the young lady I wanted to see!” 

Harry wondered what this man would do if he found out she was a Necromancy Master. The thought made her smile as she spoke to the irritating human waste. “What can I do for you, Minister?”

“I was informed that you own a hippogriff named Buckbeak. Is this true?” He looked at her pensively, like she was a child who had stolen a cookie and was still denying it even with crumbs on her face.

“That is correct.” Harry was denying  _ nothing _ . Nor was she regretting anything. She straightened and walked up the steps and even moved beyond him so she was on higher ground. He seemed to notice how she just upstaged him. 

Students slowed down around them to listen in and gape at the Minister of Magic being there at the school.

“I was simply wondering if we could perhaps reach an agreement with this. If the Ministry could perhaps buy the hippogriff from you-”

She laughed lightly and turned to stare at the man. “So you can win the loyalty of the Ancient House of Parkinson and execute him? I think not, Minister.”

“My dear young lady-”

She stepped down to his level and moved in closer than necessary. Her voice was low. “Minister, you would do well to become an ally of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, instead of the Ancient House of Parkinson. It is a simple matter of politics and strategy. You will only go so far if you become my enemy. And to answer your question, I will not sell Buckbeak to you or anyone. And even before you waste time trying to get me cornered, I have a license to own a magical creature of Buckbeak’s danger level. Have a good day, Minister.” She green eyes glittered and then she turned and left the hallway. 

Later that day, Harry witnessed her first prophecy from Trelawney. Death was humming under his breath as he stood invisible beside her.

“It seems to me, Harriet, that Grindelwald is going to escape from prison again very soon. You need to double your lessons with your students and myself.”

She nodded somberly and tried to focus on making it to her next class. “I’m not looking forward to this.”

“You would be mad if you did.” He smirked at her.

When the exams were finally over, Harry sighed and slipped away to the heart of the forest.

~an hour later~

Looking around the Great Hall, Tom swallowed and walked up to Severus Snape, who was about to leave. “Professor, I was wondering if you knew where Harry is? She's vanished again, and I don't like it.”

Giving the boy an alarmed look, Snape moved fast, making a tracking spell for the girl. “What the devil is she thinking?!”  _ The stupid, foolish, immortal girl! _

Tom ran alongside him out the castle doors.

~meanwhile~

Harry smiled and played with her skeleton cat, having it chase her shadow string everywhere. Tensing, she stopped playing when she sensed a strange life energy behind her. Turning, she stared at a snake that wasn’t Nagini. It seemed more wild and dangerous than normal.

Scrambling back, she prepared to vanish, but it lunged at her and bit into her throat.

_ “ _ HARRIET!” Death’s shout was full of anger and surprise. Neither of them had anticipated this. As the snake let go, she faltered and then stumbled to the ground.

She saw the snake transform into Morfin Gaunt. The man was grinning as Harry weakly tried to stop the bleeding from her torn open throat. She could feel the venom quickly make its way through her body. 

Scrabbling back, Harry felt her soul slipping away. She exhaled and died, cursing the man who killed her.

Morfin screamed in joy as he cradled the lifeless body of the lioness. Walking quickly, he left the forest. He stepped into the clearing near the Whomping Willow and grinned, intent on bringing her corpse back to the school.

He saw his nephew approach him with an older man. Grinning wide, he carelessly tossed the girl’s body onto the ground, waiting for the enchantment she placed on the boy to leave. 

Breath catching at the sight, Severus cursed in shock and raised his wand up.

Heart stopping, Tom stared at the body of his love, his friend, and his equal. His gut clenched in rage, and he screamed. 

Tom saw red.

~meanwhile~

Harry opened her eyes and looked up at Death. He grabbed her and pulled her to an upright sitting position. James and Lily were also there. 

“My body?”

“At the feet of Morfin.” She looked over and saw the battle that Death’s magic allowed them to see. The veil was thin, allowing their souls to see through it.

“So, the damned lunatic can change into a snake? Where did  _ that _ come from?!” James raised an eyebrow. “Bloody hell. He’s an animagus?”

“No.” Death hummed slightly. “He’s had the ability since childhood. So did Slytherin. It’s hardly known at all. Slipped through the cracks of time, I’d imagine. Everyone remembered his Parseltongue abilities but not his shifting skill.”

“Does Tom?”

“Since he is not purely of Slytherin’s blood, he cannot.” Death exhaled and nodded to Harry. “The venom is being purged as we speak. You’re going to return soon.” Her parents pulled her into a tight hug. Harry closed her eyes and relished their touch. She gripped her Dad’s arm as she wrapped her free arm around her Mom’s waist. She felt…warm.

A few moments later, Harry woke up jerkily and saw Tom and Morfin dueling it out while on the verge of being swarmed by enough dementors to black out the sky. She knew she couldn’t let Tom die. Standing, she drew her rosewood wand and spoke in the Language of Death. “ _ Leave the boy to exact my revenge!” _

Grudgingly, they obeyed her.

Morfin tried to disarm his nephew, but Tom wasn’t having it. “AVADA KEDAVRA!”

Snape rushed up to Harry and helped her stay standing. She was still weak. “He saw you die, Harriet.” His dark eyes were filled with anger. 

“I know.” She frowned as she looked on. Tom picked up Morfin’s wand and snapped it in two. But when he turned, he went pale as a sheet. 

Snape cursed and then shot a spell of his own creation at Tom, rendering the boy frozen in time, in stasis until released. That would give them time to think up-

Without thinking much about it, Harry raised her hand sharply and grabbed ahold of Tom’s soul, taking and twisting Tom’s memories.  Harry never died. Tom stopped Morfin from killing her just in time. Morfin had shifted into a snake to tear out her throat, and Tom killed him. The man shifted back to his human form upon his death.  Before she could stop herself, she also made Tom doubt his love for her. She saw he also had suspicions about her loving him back. She erased those suspicions. That done, she released Tom from Snape’s spell.

Blinking, Tom shook his head and then rushed at Harriet. “You’re alive. Oh Harry, you’re alive…” He pulled her into a hug.

Snape looked up at the floating Dementors. “We need to leave. Quickly.”

Harry looked up and then silently and secretly filled them with energy from the Earth. The Dementors screamed in delight and soared away. Harry smiled an eerie smile, glad she had the chance to reward them for obeying her.

She looked at Tom and flinched. She had changed his memories. Was she no better than Grindelwald? Twice now Tom had learned a truth about her, and twice now he had forgotten. She swallowed thickly and tried for a smile.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Tom.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re the best friend a person could ever want.” The look in Tom’s eyes was pure frustration, but he let the comment slide. 

His arm tightened around her waist. Harry allowed it, glancing up at Snape. He looked straight ahead, not showing a single emotion of how he felt. Knowing what she had done, letting it happen… Slowly, he turned his head and looked at her. While Tom was calling to Hagrid at the castle entrance, Snape nodded to Harry almost imperceptibly. She swallowed and nodded back.

They wouldn’t say a word about this to anyone.

The moment they arrived at the castle, time snapped back into place around them. They were quickly ushered to Dumbledore’s office. Snape floated Morfin’s corpse behind them. The Minister was informed immediately. 

Harry didn’t say much, letting the adults do all the talking. It seemed that Death’s training had paid off. Tom was completely fooled. 

Harry tried to ignore the sickening lurch in her stomach. 

It was  _ necessary _ . 

It  _ was _ necessary. 

Tom wouldn’t believe her, wouldn’t let her get away with what she needed to do. He wouldn’t accept the truth.  Ignoring how he had accepted it in the past, Harry tried to force herself to believe her own lies. 

Meanwhile, Tom was studying her. Intently. He hadn’t let her leave his sight even during her check-up with Madam Pomfrey. When Hermione came in with Ron, Harry distractedly greeted them but was too busy trying to ignore the heated looks that Tom was sending her way.


	11. Epilogue: Promises Broken and Promises Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry explains herself to an unconvinced Hermione.

When everyone had finally left Harry alone, Hermione stayed behind. “Oh, Harry…what happened?”

Numbly, Harry told her everything, including having to twist Tom’s memories. Hermione flinched in sympathy. “And now…Hermione, I feel so sick.”

“I could…help with that, I think.” Hermione looked around. “I could help you make it so Tom won’t have to be fooled.”

Looking up, Harry frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Slowly, Hermione pulled out an hourglass, a large one, from under her uniform. “It’s a time turner. It helps me go back in time and go to classes that I wouldn’t be able to do normally.” Her eyes filled with tears. “You were right all along. I should have told you. It’s just…Professor  _ McGonagall _ told me not to tell anyone!”

“And what a teacher tells you to do, you simply  _ must _ obey.” Harry picked up the time turner and studied. It was so very tempting. Extremely tempting. She closed her eyes. “No thank you, Hermione. I won’t mess with time. Tom is my problem. I’ll take whatever that brings.” Hermione stared at her.

“I’m sorry, Harry!”

Smiling, Harry pulled her surprised friend into a tight hug. “I’m no longer angry at you, Mione. Forget it. Just promise me one thing,” Harry pulled away and stared at her friend, hands firmly planted on her shoulders. “Don’t  _ die _ for homework. That’s the stupidest way to go.”

Flushing, Hermione looked away and then nodded. “You’re right. I won’t be doing this next year. It was too much.”

“I could sense your soul becoming frazzled. It was all I could do not to interfere.” Harry exhaled. “I care about my friends so much, Hermione. What’s the use of fighting in this fucking world if I can’t save those I love?”

Hermione’s head jerked upward, as she stared at Harry in shock. They sat like that on Harry’s hospital bed for a bit longer before Hermione spoke up. “Tom loves you too.”

“Ugh.”

“Harry, why do you hate it so?”

“Because I’m going to live forever, Hermione. I will be seeing you and Ron to your deaths. Normally, I would show Tom the hallows and we would be immortal together, but…” Harry shook her head. “Tom isn’t ready for that. He’s too powerful. Too cruel. Too easily seduced by power. I would lose him and then have to fight him forever. To make Tom Riddle my immortal mate is too much of a risk for the world at large. I’m not a lovesick selfish fool.” She stood up and started pacing. A glance at Hermione had her laughing bitterly. “You don’t seem to understand. From the look on your face, you don’t think Tom’s that much of a threat.” 

Sighing, Hermione shook her head. “Sorry, I just…” She exhaled and looked at her. “Can’t Tom  _ change _ ?”

“How can he change when he doesn’t think he needs to? I’ll give him immortality when he no longer fears death as a mortal. I’ll teach him true power when he no longer desires it as a comfort blanket.” Harry rubbed her face tired. “I’ll allow myself to love when I no longer feel the need to run from it.”

“Well…” Hermione pursed her lips and approached her. She pulled her friend into a hug. “Looks to me like you’ve done everything you can do. Damage control can be messy. Tom’s lust for power is what drives your fear of him discovering your secret.”

Groaning, Harry slumped into her friend’s hug. “I may only be thirteen, but I’ve seen so much death and hell. I’ve seen things no one should see, lived through things no one should live through.” Harry turned and stared at Hermione. “There is also a  _ very _ strong chance that Grindelwald will tell the world about my being a Necromancer. When that happens, all those who are near me will be immediately put under suspicion. Tom can’t afford that. He won’t be in danger from the law and Ministry if he doesn’t know anything.”

“And Ron and I?” Hermione looked worried, eyes intently scanning her friend’s exhausted face. 

Harry waved her hand dismissively. “Both of you are light and from families who are above suspicion. Tom is related to Gaunt. What do you think?” Harry crossed her arms. “I can’t let him fall in love with me.”

Rolling her eyes, Hermione sighed. “Harry, love isn’t something you have any control over. And besides, what if  _ you _ fall in love with  _ him _ ?”

Shooting Hermione a look, Harry huffed. “I told you already! Why would I fall in love with someone who doesn’t accept Death? That makes no sense.”

“He’s only fallen for the lies of the Ministry-”

“So had Ron, but he believed me.” Harry arched an eyebrow. “Tom is  _ afraid  _ of Death, Hermione. He is extremely terrified of Death.” Once again she ignored how he had accepted her before. Harry swallowed, throat dry. “I  _ work _ with Death. Our match would be a farce from the very get go. He is mortal, and I am not. He is human, and I am not. He is afraid of Death, and I am not.” Harry quickly pulled away.

Hermione frowned and looked away. After a while, she nodded up and gave Harry another tight hug. “Get some sleep, Harry.”

“I’ll try.”

The next morning all the students were also informed that Tom Riddle saved Harriet Potter’s life from Azakan Escapee, Morfin Gaunt.

There was a celebration. Points were given. And then everyone went home for the summer. 

It was hard to ignore the guilt eating away at the inside of her. Harry hated this even as she hugged Tom goodbye. Trying to push her mind onto more pleasant topics, Harry smiled softly as she climbed into the car owned by Sirius. This weekend she would inform her students who got the best grades. 

Looking over to her left, she smiled and waved at Tom and the Weasleys. The twins were staring starry-eyed at Sirius Black. He winked at them and then helped his goddaughter into the car.

~meanwhile~

Gellert jerked upward when he heard his door scrape open. It was Albus. He smiled at the man. “And is Harriet dead?”

“No. Tom killed his uncle before Morfin could accomplish the task you set before him.” Albus reached around and touched the rune, hand coming back speckled with blood. Sighing, he pulled out a knife and re-cut it. Gellert growled and tried to twist around to kiss the man. Albus pulled away.

“Just one kiss, Albus?” Gellert smiled at him. Albus glared at him. “I know you miss it. I certainly do. Tell me, do you still need to have physical stimulation or have you learned to come untouched?” He grinned darkly at his former lover. He knew those words triggered long buried memories in Albus’ mind. He knew how his love’s brain worked. “Remember when I kissed you in the garden? I know you miss those days, in my arms, our forbidden love.” His eyes gleamed. 

Stepping back, Albus snarled. “The only kiss I’m interested in you getting is one from a Dementor. Sadly, with you being immortal that will never happen.” With that, the man turned and walked out. 

Gellert grumbled and looked around his cell for some entertainment. The worst part of imprisonment was the boredom. Suddenly, he stiffened when he heard a small squeaking. A rat scurried into the room. It seemed to wait until the guard passed by before moving again. Gellert’s eyes widened when the rat shifted into a runt of a human.

“Pettigrew? Aren’t you the one who sold his friend for a few pieces of gold?” Gellert raised an eyebrow as the man flinched.

“I am loyal to you, my lord. Always. Always. I came with this.” He pulled out a small bottle of Essence of Dittany. Gellert smiled as the man quickly put some of it on his wound.

Immediately, it closed up, and Gellert closed his eyes as he felt the rush of his magic come back. “Excellent, Pettigrew.” He scanned the man’s soul and then chuckled. “Wormtail, eh? Fitting for a submissive worm like you.” With a wave of his hand, he made the guards all think he was alone and silent. Humming, he turned to Pettigrew. 

“I must remain here so…I think I shall.” He chuckled at the stocks still adorning his arms and legs. “Albus will undoubtedly grow concerned if I vanish overnight.” He cracked his neck and then exhaled. “Pettigrew, your shifting talent is very handy. I want you to sneak back into Azkaban and get out a man named Bartemius Crouch Jr. You saw him before I vanished, I’m sure. He was my best law enforcer.” Gellert chuckled softly. 

“Y-yes, my lord. I know him. I will find him for you!” The rat eagerly shifted again and hurried away. With a smile, Gellert tricked the visiting healer- two hours later- into thinking that his wound was still fresh.

He had many things to do, and getting caught was not one of those things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the end of the third book! Thank you all so much for your comments and questions!   
> I'll start uploading the first chapter of the fourth book tomorrow. ; D  
> Ink...


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